Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for Wang in There, Baby!
Cover image credit: via TMDB

Wang in There, Baby!

Phil Wang

Netflix · 2024 · 61 min

A candlelit hour of clever, low-key observational comedy.

Phil Wang’s comedy often hinges on the mild, specific absurdities of national temperament, and he finds his ideal target in the British terror of reheating leftover rice. Captured under the soft glow of London’s candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe, his sophomore Netflix hour is a relaxed, analytical look at the differences between his two homes, Malaysia and the UK. He spent much of 2024 riding the wave of high-profile bookings, including a brief, memorable turn dancing on a table in the movie Wonka, but here he is content to slow down, letting his signature deadpan style carry a set that feels like a lecture by a very funny, slightly exhausted academic.

The 61-minute special finds Wang contrasting British paranoia with American excess, most notably in a bit comparing the UK’s strict over-the-counter limits on ibuprofen to buying loose tubs of a thousand pills at a US Costco. He also examines octopus intelligence, the versatility of the word “slippers”, and his own mixed-race upbringing in Borneo with a Chinese-Malaysian father and a mother from Stoke-on-Trent. Directed by Andy Devonshire, the show relies less on rapid-fire punchlines and more on Wang’s gift for rhythmic, patient storytelling.

The set list

6 bits

  1. White British people's fear of reheated leftover rice versus accepting fried rice

    Opens the special by dissecting the cultural divide in attitudes toward leftover rice, contrasting British dietary paranoia with Asian culinary staples.

  2. Singing along to Kendrick Lamar rap lyrics containing the N-word

    Suggests non-black listeners substitute awkward or offensive words with friendly rhyming words, specifically suggesting 'slippers', which fits his mild lifestyle better.

  3. Challenging his sister's refusal to eat octopus

    Mocks arguments against eating octopus based on their intelligence, bringing cynical comedic logic to animal consumption.

  4. Phonetic abbreviations of America and Britain

    Observes that 'US' sounds like 'yes' and 'UK' sounds like 'you ok?'.

  5. Growing up in Borneo believing in ghosts and traditional Chinese medicines

    Discusses Malaysian childhood beliefs in ghosts and parents administering traditional medicines that provide unwanted erections instead of comfort.

  6. Measuring his penis for fact-checking his book

    Recounts a panicked ruler measurement after an editor's routine check, turning male genital insecurity and stereotypes into an extended comedic story ending in a lie of seven inches.

How it plays

Tone
Deadpan, witty, silly yet smart, absurd, and self-deprecating.
On stage
Mild-mannered, composed, understatedly stylish comic with a droll sense of humor, self-effacingly referring to himself in the third person, self-described as physically soft.
Pace
Casual, loose, and nonchalantly delivered; confident momentum where he carries and amplifies good jokes to another level rather than jumping quickly to the next.
About
Being British and being Asian, Food culture and reheating rice, Octopus intelligence, America vs. Britain cultural differences, Belief in ghosts and superstitions, Trappings of minor fame and being recognized

What the critics said

Universally praised by critics as an irresistible, top-tier hour blending smart and silly humor, sharp gags, absurd imagery, and self-deprecating charm.

In the room: Intimate and warmly receptive within an atmospheric, candlelit playhouse setting.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: verve.film, avalonuk.com, pressparty.com, themoviedb.org, chortle.co.uk, decider.com, fugitives.com, pro.imdb.com, deadline.com, netflix.com, en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com.

Backstory

Drawing on his multicultural background as a British-Malaysian comedian born in Stoke-on-Trent, raised in Borneo, and moved back to the UK at age 16, exploring dual identities and experiences across cultures.

Details

Released
Taped
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe, London
Runtime
61 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Andy Devonshire
Topics
Before
Philly Philly Wang Wang (2021)

More from Phil Wang

If you liked this