London-based Chinese comedian Alvin Liu's debut show delivers distinctive cultural humour with his playful views on China and the UK. With his struggles to be a free spirit back home and a growing knowledge of British culture, Alvin offers a fresh perspective on society's quirks and absurdities, tickling (spiritually) international audiences with his observations.

"What he has is potent in its imagery, authenticity, perverse logic and volatility." (Bobby Carroll, British Comedy Guide)

Since coming to the UK Alvin has taken the stage at Top Secret, Backyard, the Comedy Store and performed at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival and the Brighton Fringe.

Come see his highly anticipated debut show "First World Eyebrows" at the Edinburgh Fringe. Book your tickets now!

March 21, 2023   British Comedy Guide

Bobby Carroll's Glasgow Comedy Festival Diary

Eyebrows.

Every time I go to my Turkish Barbers, he offers to "do" my eyebrows. I have no idea what he wants to do with them. And being the rare two parts of my body I have zero hang-ups about, I'm pretty sure I don't want my eyebrows fucked with. Then I saw a Korean film this week where a baby-for-sale's eyebrows are the main negotiation point for any potential buyer. And here is Chinese stand-up comedian Alvin Liu, who has a whole routine about eyebrows that I couldn't get my head around. Is this the cultural difference that is going to hold me back from being a true global citizen? Just what are the rest of the world's males doing with their eyebrows that I'm not noticing?

Liu's eyebrows routine was not the only time where his comedy of Shanghai origin (but English language) lacked full context. Maybe the unique pleasure of watching him was that, for every national difference he did explain in the set-up, there was another where the Glasgow International Comedy Festival attendees had to pull their weight and join the dots. His opening routine about the rude questions people will ask you in China if they think you have an unusually attractive girlfriend had a lot more clarity than later stuff.

There were also definitely moments over his fledgling 30-minute set when you could feel the liberal British audience's collective arsehole audibly tighten. His best bit, about the benefits of child labour, deserved more laughter. Sure, it could do with beefing up even more; I'd say there's more mileage to it as a subject than he's mapped out currently. But what he has is potent in its imagery, authenticity, perverse logic and volatility.

There are many points where he treads the line of offence with heavy boots. It is easy for newer act to confuse shock with what will work away from open mics and ex-pat gigs. But Liu evidences a decent toolkit, all the gadgets needed to become a circuit comedian of note. His long form stuff always reaches a laugh at the end, and he sells his weirdest material unusually, with his entire torso bent 90 degrees forward, practically crowd surfing the front two rows. Most importantly, and you can't fake this, he is likeable.

Embracing an unforced outsider perspective and being free of the censorial shackles of his homeland, the more credible stage time Liu finds on the London circuit the better he'll be at evolving the best 10 minutes he had here into quite a memorable club 20. Click Here For Article