Dating Scene in Beijing: Comedy Club China
If you're in Beijing and in need of a laugh, look no further than Comedy Club China. This well-known Beijing organization runs weekly open mic nights along with other special comedy events throughout the year that are sure to tickle your sides.
Eric Selley, a regular in Beijing stand up scene since April 2017, shares more about the comedy club and why you should bring your next date here - or perhaps opt to come single and ready to mingle after a show!
Meet Comedian Eric Selley
Hey
hey! I am originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. If your knowledge
of Canadian geography is limited (I don’t blame you), let’s just say
Toronto, Canada to make it easy. If that is still too much, let’s just
say North America.
I’ve lived in China since 2015, with a brief hiatus to
find myself, travelling around Australia somewhere in the middle of then
and now. I started doing stand up comedy here in Beijing in April 2017
at a now defunct venue (I think?) called “Hot Cat” in Fangjia Hutong.
What have you learned from dating in China?
Well
since I spent most of my twenties here in Beijing, I definitely learned a
lot about myself when it comes to dating. Overall, I think my experience
has been positive. I’ve met a lot of cool people and even if it didn’t
work out, for the most part, I’ve enjoyed meeting people from all over
the world and hearing their stories.
I used to use dates to try and see if my bits would work on other people (basically a workshopping session unbeknownst to them). In my earlier days I would actually write a “set list” before I went on the date so that I wouldn’t run out of talking points. I was a big ol’ nervous weirdo. But nowadays, I’m much more comfortable being myself on dates so I guess that counts for something? Anyways, it has been fun.
Ideal First Date in Beijing?
This is always a tough question for me because I’m a pretty easy going guy. If a girl pitched the idea of just riding the subway for an afternoon and getting off at random stops, I’d be in. For me, I like to drink (blame comedy and social anxiety for that I guess), so I enjoy meeting for drinks, whether its beer or cocktails or wine; doesn’t really matter.
I actually really enjoy this Japanese venue that has a bunch of small Japanese restaurants inside, beside Vin Vino (another pretty good spot). In the venue, there is this small yakatori place that serves really great high balls. It’s a pretty chill spot and I really enjoy the atmosphere (and the food and booze of course), so I like going there.
Other than that, like I said I’m pretty easy so I’ll do the coffee shops or the parks. Whatever the girl is into, I can probably be talked into it.
Craziest date experience you’ve had in China?
Woooooof. The China stipulation to this question limits some of my craziest experiences overall (probably for the better to be honest).
This is going to sound like a cop out (because it is), but one time I matched with this girl on Tinder and she asked me to do her podcast. That podcast turned out to be Date Night China.*
*True story! Eric is on Date Night China Episode 3: Ghosting and Rejection. Listen to Date Night China on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
To be honest, I can’t really think of any dates that have been super crazy. Perhaps I’ve just repressed them all out of fear of embarrassment. That being said, if you’re reading this and we had a crazy date, please let me know and I’d be happy to add it to a future version of these Q&As!
Tell us about the Comedy Club China. When was it founded and who can perform?
Comedy Club China has been around since the early 2010s, before my time in China. The leadership is sort of passed along as people come and go. Some of the funniest people I’ve ever met have been involved with the club.
Ultimately, the club exists to give people who want to do stand up comedy the chance to do so,whether they have experience or not. Basically if you continuously do the open mics and show that you are serious about improving and making people laugh, we will put you on a showcase at some point.
The rules and policies kind of change depending on who is in the leadership position, but under current front man David Jacobs, the idea has been to try and give people as many opportunities as possible, which I think is great.
There is stand up comedy in pretty much every major city in China (Shanghai, Wuhan, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, etc.) but they go by different names (not Comedy Club China). The network of all of us is pretty small, so if you stick with comedy long enough, you get to know pretty much everyone who is doing comedy in English in China (and to that extent, Asia), which is pretty cool.
How often does Comedy Club China have events?
At the moment, we have two weekly open mics: Tuesdays at Paddy O’Sheas and Thursdays at The Great Outdoors. Both venues have been incredibly generous to us, so shouts out to both of them.
We are always searching for new venues (if you’re reading this and have a venue where we can do comedy, holler at me). We often do showcases on weekends or host out of town comedians to headline, whether they are from other parts of China or abroad.
Obviously, with the current state of travel that is a bit difficult at the moment, but we hope to continue to do so once this madness subsides. We also sometimes do events like “Drunk Debates” or “Comedy Without a Net” which are a ton of fun as well.
How's the dating scene at Comedy Club events? Are there opportunities to meet new people and/or find people to date?
Definitely! I mean hopefully not DURING the show, but certainly before and after. I’ve actually had a few people tell me they met their current boyfriend/girlfriend at one of our shows, which is fun to hear.
But yeah, our events typically take place at bars so there is a great chance to mingle before and after the show. Plus you’ll have something in common to talk to the person about. It could be how you know one of the comedians on the show or maybe you can discuss how good/cringey the show was. Either way, shoot your shots boys and girls.
Would a comedy event be a great date night for a couple? Have you seen any interesting dates happen at these events?
I think it is. It’s a nice change of pace from the typical dinner and drinks. Plus, similar to a movie, the burden isn’t on you to keep up the conversation the entire time and afterwards you’ll have something to talk about.
Recently, this couple walked into the show late so the host addressed it. He asked if they were dating and they awkwardly just sat there and admitted they had just met literally minutes before coming up to the show.
They were both great looking people, too. The dude was German (not your classic looking German, more of an exotic looking German) and the girl was Chinese. When the host asked who approached who, the girl admitted she hit on him first.
The audience loved the interaction and it was a fun moment for everyone (maybe not the poor new couple who happened to walk in at a down moment but hey, hopefully they went home that night and had great sex and are still happily together today because of us).
Besides that recent experience that stands out, I’ve also seen a guy and a girl come together just as friends, and then they proceeded to wingman (and wingwoman) one another with other audience members after the show. That’s cool too.
Any other upcoming events?
I run a show called Talk is Cheap twice a month usually at The Great Outdoors. There will be one this Saturday August 15th @ 8pm so don't miss it!
I keep the lineups fresh so you’re seeing different comedians each time. It’s usually a really fun show and I’m psyched I get to give new comedians a chance to perform and be compensated to do so.
We just did a “roast” for one of the comedians (Mac) because he is moving to Shanghai. If you’re not familiar with what a roast is, it is basically a show where you get to say the meanest things about the person of honour and all of the other comedians on the show as well. It sounds mean but it is totally all done out of love and respect. They are usually hilariously brutal.
We will also host a headline show for Joe Wong (of Colbert Report, David Letterman, White House Correspondent’s Dinner, and CCTV fame) sometime this month, with the venue TBD.
Find out more about Comedy Club China:
The best way to stay on top of all events would be to join our official Wechat account: ComedyClubChina.
Also, we have a Wechat group where we advertise our upcoming events and keep people in the loop. If you’re interested in anything related to comedy, whether it is watching or performing or anything in between, feel free to add my Wechat (ericselley) and I’ll be more than happy to point you in the direction that you’re trying to go!
Know another great date spot or event in Beijing?
Contact Us or send a message to Rachel (Wechat ID: rachelweiss22).
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