To an intimate audience at Paradise in the Vaults, Charlene Kaye delivers a hilariously self-deprecating retelling of her relationship with her mother, in all its nitty-gritty detail.
The whistle-stop tour of her experience with a Tiger Mother, featuring bad haircuts, questionable career choices (see: a Guns N’ Roses tribute band called Gun N’ Hoses), and a healthy dose of teenage angst, traces the comic’s endless pursuit of her mother’s approval. The sketch is accompanied by a DIY-aesthetic power-point-style presentation, where photo evidence of said teenage haircut gives the audience a free pass to find the funny in the mishaps, and enjoy the self-depreciation that runs throughout the set.
The opportunity to introduce her mother to the audience is not missed either, with screenshots of text messages, email chains, and even self-commissioned portrait paintings, that we’d barely believe if not for the evidence. Such is the nature of the show; the tales teeter on the point of absurdity, while the proof before us confirms both that the stories are true and that the comedy show formed from them was inevitable. Generational misunderstandings are told through amusing anecdote after amusing anecdote, from what is a seemingly endless supply. She cleverly holds the audience’s attention with the suspense of where the next hilarious detour will go.
The root of the show’s success is the personability of the one-woman performer, who makes the entire audience feel like we are her best friend (or wish we were) from the moment it starts. Her explosive stage presence contrasts the feeling of having a one-on-one conversation, as Kaye manages to keep it personal without being self-indulgent, ridiculous without exaggerating.
The nuances of Asian-American culture shape the set, a deep understanding of which is not required to enjoy the jokes, but well-timed explanations give the international audience a helping hand. Towards the end, the comedy transitions into an emotional deepening of the story, proving that Kaye is no one-trick-pony. The section adds a poignance to the show, giving the audience a more profound understanding of her experience, and blends the humour with a vulnerability that Kaye is not afraid to bare. Just in time, Kaye brings it back to the light-heartedness which dominates the set, showing off what she is best at: finding the humour in it all. Highly recommended.
TIGER DAUGHTER: Or, How I Brought My Immigrant Mother Ultimate Shame is on at The Annexe at Paradise in The Vault until August 25 (not August 11 and 18).
Buy tickets here.
Photo by Sam Picket provided to The Student for press use.