In a world with an abundance of performers and a shortage of medical staff, Jason Leong’s transition from doctor to comedian seems like quite the leap. As the old adage goes, laughter is the best medicine, but the opening night of Leong’s newest show, Brain Drain, left us feeling a little undermedicated.
Dr Jason Leong is shockingly not just a PhD graduate flouting a doctor title for a reason to puff his chest, nor a talk show host delving into the problems of modern-day Americans à la Dr Phil. He is an actual doctor. Opening with his humorous desire to become Malaysia’s first uncircumcised prime minister, Leong emerged to his opening night set at the Greek Centre’s Mezzanine stage in a dazzling red suit, looking, in his own words, like a bank teller. His infectious enthusiasm made you want to root for him from the get-go; however, some of his material did not have the anticipated punch.
We devoured his set at the Comedy Gala this year, but his longer opening night set did not have the same defibrillating hit we know him for. It could have been the crowd's energy on a dreary Thursday eve or the need to adapt the material to an audience that doesn’t understand the nuances of Malaysian rivalries.
Most of the opening content centred around racial stereotypes and the current political system in Malaysia. Some of the funny cracked through, but for those not so versed with the intricacies of the Malaysian comedy scene – albeit insightful – his jokes felt more informative than they were laugh-worthy. Much like a doctor’s waiting room, the build-ups to the gags often had a long wait time, and the often predictable punchlines didn’t get the room rolling into the aisles.
Leong brought us all back into the fold by delving into the universally mock-worthy world of parenthood, referencing his belief that fur babies were just children with a horrible skin condition, and highlighting a comparison between the Bible and fairytales – which, content-wise, are surprisingly not that dissimilar. One of the best moments from the set came from Dr Leong’s analysis of the pathways to princess hood for the quintessential Disney princess. Leong gave us a sharp comparison of Mulan’s gruelling quest to save the Imperial Chinese Empire compared to the lazy and privileged antics of her white counterparts - most notably OG party insta-girl Cinderella, and her sheepish comrade, Sleeping Beauty.
That said, although not his strongest night, Leong’s pivot from saving lives to mocking them has seen him fly from success to success. His recently released second Netflix special, Ride With Caution, is evidence enough that he is a talent destined for greatness, potentially even on the path to becoming Malaysia’s first uncircumcised prime minister. Although maybe he would be better suited to the USA, where the jump from doctor to celebrity into president wouldn’t be so shocking.