He’s celebrated a critically-acclaimed Netflix special, a David Letterman appearance, role on ‘Life & Beth’ with Amy Schumer and sold out runs all over the place. Now, comedian Phil Wang is returning to Australia, with ‘Wang In There, Baby!’.
Phil will explore race, family, nipples, and everything else that’s been going on in his Philly little life in the show.
It was recently revealed that Phil is heading on a major UK tour extension in response to high ticket demand. He’ll now play 63 shows across the country, to a capacity of more than 75,000 tickets.
The comedian has performed at international comedy festivals from Montreal, to Melbourne, to New Zealand. . . And his show ‘Philly Philly Wang Wang’ broke records at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe. At the end of this year, he makes his debut film appearance alongside Timothee Chalamet in ‘Wonka’.
We sat down with Phil ahead of his Australian shows.
You’re returning to our shores! What do you love most about Australia?
The food is pretty unrivalled, I would say. The quality of produce, the restaurants, the wine – forget about it! So good. There’s a real appreciation for pleasure here that is somehow not annoying.
It was recently revealed that you’re heading out on an extended UK run due to high demand! Tell us about how it feels to get this kind of response from your audience.
It feels great of course. 100 per cent what I wanted to happen.
You’ll be covering an interesting array of things in this show, among them ‘race, family, nipples’. . . How do you formulate material for a new show? Where do you begin?
I’m not really a comic who starts somewhere (I should try that some time). I get an idea for a joke from a stray thought or something I’ve seen or heard, and I make a note of it. For example for the nipple bit you mentioned, I looked down one day and saw my nipple. Bingo! Then I try it out and it grows (the routine, not the nipple). Repeat that process a few times and you have enough for a show. Then it’s a process of moulding and modifying it into the best shape possible (again, the show not my nipple) by performing it again and again. Thanks, nipple.
You’re in the new ‘Wonka’ film! What can you tell us about this experience?!
It was very cool getting to work with fellow heartthrob Timothee Chalamet. Being on a proper movie set was amazing. My trailer had a toilet and in it there was a toothbrush and toothpaste and they let me take them home. I didn’t (I have my own toothbrush) but it was very cool that they offered. I told them that because I was in it, they could call the movie ‘Wangka’, but they pretended not to hear me.
How did you get involved in the film?
Brad Pitt dropped out.
When we say ‘career highlight’ for you thus far. . . Your answer is?
Honestly – and I’m not just saying this to suck up – many of my experiences in Australia are up there. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, taking part in the Great Debate (my Dad’s favourite YouTube clip of me), performing at the Sydney Opera House, taking a pretty wild tour of the Yarra Valley. So Australia as a whole is a career highlight. And, of course, showing Chalamet how it’s really done.
What is the biggest difference between Australia as an audience and the rest of the world?
Aussie audiences are chilled. They’re thrilled for you to do well, but if you don’t, they don’t mind because they have pretty nice lives to get back to. I guess that’s the main difference. That and the cork hats.
Phil Wang 2023 Australia Tour Dates
6 November – Astor Theatre (Perth)8 November – Hamer Hall (Melbourne)
13 November – Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
14 November – The Tivoli (Brisbane)
