Long Hu Comedian in Heels: Beijing's No. 1 Gay Comedian
If you’re in the Beijing expat scene, chances are you’ve probably seen Nick Cheng, aka Long Hu the Comedian in Heels. On most Tuesday nights you’ll find him performing at Paddy’s Comedy Night – he’s the guy wearing giant heels and bringing the house down with his rowdy jokes and singalongs.
Nick and his husband Gong recently were guests on Episode 17 of Date Night China Podcast (check it out if you haven't already!) but we wanted to chat a bit more with Nick about how Long Hu Comedian in Heels came about.
Meet Nick Cheng.
Nick is a London-born ex Royal Navy soldier who, after 3 years of service and after 7 years of struggling to make a living, decided to leave the humdrum monotony of UK life to pursue a life of laughter and eventually, large heels in Beijing, China.
On the podcast we discussed being a part of the gay community in China. Can you tell us more about what the gay community is like in Beijing from your experience?
Gay culture has developed differently in China - it doesn’t have the same visibility as it does in other countries. There is a lack of role models for LGBT people to aspire to. Sex and romance are not things commonly discussed by the general public here. Culturally, there is a duty set by the family to have a heterosexual relationship and to have children, and this will not change until gay culture is more widely known. I believe the that the more you see something the more you accept it, and at the moment what people see is that LGBT relationships are strange. Not bad, just not part of the norm.
This is why I believe it is important to be honest and out to people, and show them that gay people are not strange. Beijing is quite a cosmopolitan place and there is a gay scene here, but in other parts of China there is no scene and LGBT people are left to feel wrong and have to try to live a life dictated by their family.
Without those role models of healthy gay relationships, some people (even if they do realise they are gay) still have trouble expressing themselves and starting or maintaining relationships.
I once visited a gay sauna in China to see the difference between sauna culture in the west and here. There was a man who obviously wanted to have some fun but I didn’t feel the same way. He unfortunately didn’t accept that I didn’t want to play, and I had to get quite direct with him. I do think if he had had a gay role model growing up that that exchange would have been very different.
Tell us about Longhu Comedian in Heels. How did this comedian persona come about?
I had always wanted to do comedy growing up but lacked the confidence to actually try. Initially I started working on my self esteem through karaoke - when you nail a song and people cheer it is such a buzz.
Eventually after I moved to China I decided to give it a go. This was back in 2015. I would get on stage as Nick Barber and just experiment with how I performed. This led to Long Hu being developed.
There was one particularly tough day at work which got on my nerves. It was just bubbling under my skin so I got on stage and vented, whilst also trying to make the crowd laugh of course. It felt good to just be a funny asshole on stage and be the me I wished I had the confidence to be all the time.
After Long Hu was born, then came the shoes which got taller and taller - until we reach the comic I am today. As I grew into Long Hu, I found that I could be confident both on and off the stage.
I loved the old school comics like Victoria Wood and Rikki Fulton, whose comedy would be stand up sketches and musical comedy. Those variety comedy acts are what inspire my style of comedy, because ultimately the goal of a good comic is to make the crowd laugh and forget their troubles, even if just for a short time.
Do you see Long Hu as a positive gay role model for those who come to see you perform?
I would like to think when I am playing Long Hu I am being a positive role model, but also know that I am not perfect, whether intentionally or not. There are some jokes I have that highlight ignorance, some that highlight how hypersensitive society has become, but mostly I just want to make the crowd laugh.
I also want to show that just because I am gay doesn’t mean I am going to slot into a constructed stereotype. I like what I like because it is my preference and I act how I act because that is my personality.
I think that is why I have developed LongHu to look the way he does. First you hear Long Hu comedian in heels and expect an Asian woman, but I take that away. Then you see me and expect a camp comic, but I take that away too. You are left just watching and not trying to anticipate who I am, as you know I will tell you when I am ready to.
I also hope that when people in the gay community watch me they get the confidence to be real. There are a lot of gay men that wear their personality like armour. Some pretend to be heterosexual, some pretend to be diva bitch queens, but sadly a lot of the time it is armour so they can feel safe and not risk exposing their true selves.
Do you have any advice for others who have questions about the LGBT community in China?
Well I suppose my main advice is be out - be as out as you can safely be. Because the more it is seen, the more it is accepted. Also be an individual. We may fall under the umbrella of LGBT, but we are all very different people, with different passions, tastes and dislikes.
Of course, you should also learn to love yourself.
Once you learn to love yourself for who you are and embrace that you are what you are, then you will find the LGBT community ready to welcome you.
There are LGBT centres around China for information and advice, and they can help you stay safe and healthy whilst discovering your community.
Read more: Beijing LGBT Center: Working To Advance LGBT Rights in China.
A lot of common activities will have groups that are LGBT friendly, so find something you like such scuba diving or rugby, and see if there is an existing LGBT group, and if not, consider starting one.
If you have already found your place in the LGBT community, remember to support you community even if it is just having coffee with a friend who is going through a tough time.
Because we all know the troubles of LGBT life and that at one time or another, we all need support.
How can people get in touch with you and find out about your next shows?
Well at the moment the world-wide comedy scene is on a timeout due to the current epidemic, but I can be found performing at open mics in Beijing with Comedy Club China.
You can find me on social media at:
Twitter: @longhucomedian
Facebook: Nick Cheng “Long Hu” comedian
Instagram: @longu.comedian
And anyone wishing to book me for a show you can email LongHucomedian@gmail.com
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