The last few years have been particularly rough for Japanese comedian Takashi Wakasugi. The global pandemic made his comedy career unviable, he couldn’t get government assistance as a visa-holder, he had to live with his girlfriend’s family for nine months, and that girlfriend subsequently broke up with him. This unfortunate series of events is what fuels Wakasagi’s new show, Stay Home Stay, but instead of wallowing in misery, he exudes contagious optimism and charm, and a mostly unwavering love of Australia.
Wakasagi takes the audience through those nine gruelling months spent under his girlfriend’s parents’ roof, taking care to mention how grateful he was to have a free place to stay as an unemployed comedian. In saying that, he still had his complaints; but in classic Japanese form, he’s incredibly polite about it, finishing every complaint with a big smile while saying “...but I can’t complain.”
Most of the show’s humour hinges on the cultural differences between Australian and Japanese society, and hearing Wakasagi relay hijinks through this lens adds a whole other layer of humour. The crowd absolutely loses it as Wakasagi shares the discovery of his girlfriends’ parents' shameful guilty pleasure of convenience store sushi, or as he shares some not-so-traditional haikus.
There’s rarely a moment that the crowd isn’t at least chuckling, but more often buckled over in laughter, at Wakasugi’s clever and often quirky observations. While he sometimes fails to let the bits speak for themselves and is quick to walk you through what’s funny about it, there’s no question that he has a natural affinity for storytelling. He’s clearly at ease on the stage, with a knack for comedic timing and a demeanour that makes you wish he was one of your friends.
See Stay Home Stay at Trades Hall until April 24, or catch Wakasugi hosting Asian Persuasion at Kicks until April 23.
Want to know which shows have us LOLing in the aisles this year? Check out our guide to Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2022.
