I haven’t met anybody in my life that has made me *love* my last name. Tonight, I walked out of the Factory Theatre Floor wishing people would chant: “Ho! Ho! Ho!”, while I soaked it all up on a stage. Lizzy Hoo is my new hero.
Within the intimate Factory Floor at the Factory Theatre, Lizzy Hoo’s performance, ‘Lizzy Hoo – Hoo Dis’, was peppy, energetic and totally audacious. A wonderful continuation to my Sydney Comedy Festival 2021 journey. On stage, she was a bright orange whirlwind of infectious laughter and boldly talked about some of the weirder parts of being a human in today’s world. At times, Lizzy had me bellowing. At others, she had me shuffling in my seat. Especially as she joked about being jealous of those 25-year-olds these days that are living their best lives. Sorry.
Ah yes, the best kind of comedy – laughter with a pinch of ‘uncomfortable’.
The performance does also touch on bigger issues. Lizzy takes these on with grace and must seriously be applauded. It is not easy to fight racism with comedy. As a tiny Asian chick myself, it was comforting to be able to settle in and have a laugh about the crazy world we currently live in.
Lizzy concocted a beautiful variety of stories which had the me and the rest of the audience making happy noises. What I loved most were Lizzy’s casual conversation-like interactions with the audience. Standing close to the front of the stage and scanning the audience, she playfully picked out her next best mate to have a chat with. This had a similar energy to the childhood shows my mum would take me to see – you’d have this nervous feeling. Did I want the people on stage to pick me? In this case: Yeah, I think I did.
Speaking of mums, I brought my 60-year-old Chinese mother along with me to watch Lizzy’s show. She hasn’t seen any stand-up in her life but was keen to watch the Asian comedian who looks vaguely like me… and her Netflix fave, Allie Wong. She adored the high energy of the performance, Lizzy’s little giggles between yarns, and on the way out she asked me to Google ‘Jungle Body’ for her. Thank you, Lizzy. Your impeccable dancing skills has my mum convinced that she too, can strut it like Beyonce.
Lizzy Hoo’s performance had an electric and captivating energy which will have you ending the night with a smile on your face. From bumbling dance moves to heart-warming stories – look forward to a spirited and wholesome night out.
– Ashleigh
Ashleigh Ho (She/Her) is an Asian Australian freelance writer who loves anything and everything arts. In the daytime, she is a stage manager and arts administrator. Ashleigh is passionate about working on projects with a focus on underrepresented communities.
Lizzy Hoo – Hoo Dis? is at the Factory Theatre Floor until Sunday the 2 May. The Factory Floor is accessible for wheelchair users. Grab your tickets to guarantee fun times!
