The Asian Comedy Takeover is back for one night only! Featuring new, emerging and pro-diverse voices from the Pan-Asian diaspora in New Zealand, these comics are here to take centre stage and thrive.
Asian Comedy Takeover is exactly the kind of late‑festival variety show that reminds you why these lineups matter. Not because they are perfect, not because every set hits the same way, but because they offer a rare chance to see a wide spectrum of Asian comedians in one place, each bringing their own rhythm, cultural lens, and comedic instincts to the stage. It is messy in the best way, energetic, unpredictable, and full of personality. With twelve performers rotating through short sets, the night becomes a snapshot of contemporary Asian comedy in Aotearoa, complete with the themes you would expect and a few surprises you would not.
The show is anchored by Jess Karamjeet, who takes on the dual role of MC and final act. As a host, she keeps the energy buoyant and the transitions smooth, guiding the audience through the rapid shifts in tone that come with a lineup this large. As a performer, she closes the night with a musical piece about unfortunate romantic epiphanies around the universal plague of f**k boys. The forced singalong is chaotic, cheeky, and exactly the kind of finale that suits a variety show. Jess has a natural command of the room, and her ability to switch between playful banter and structured performance gives the night a sense of cohesion.
Jess Karamjeet
The show opens with Takhou Law, who wastes no time firing off a barrage of one-liners. His style is fast, punchy, and unapologetically hit or miss. When a joke lands, it lands hard. When it does not, he is the first to laugh at himself, which only makes the audience warm to him more. There is no overarching narrative in his set, no thematic throughline, just a rapid stream of ideas delivered with confidence. It is a bold way to start the night, and it sets a lively pace.
Next up is Joanne Zhang, who begins with a quieter, more restrained presence. She has the strongest accent of the group, and while her delivery starts slow, she gains momentum as the laughs build. Once she finds her rhythm, she picks up speed, sometimes too quickly for the audience to catch every word, but the charm of her delivery carries her through. Her jokes about people misunderstanding her name, being proud of her roots, and her life as a professional drug dealer (at a hospital) are highlights. Joanne’s set feels personal and grounded, and the audience responds warmly to her sincerity.
Lujane Shabbir brings one of the more abstract sets of the night. She is quieter than many of the other performers, but her material is clever and refreshingly different. Instead of the usual complaints about Auckland traffic, she reframes the experience through the lens of losing her sense of time entirely if she dares to trust Auckland Transport’s timetables. Her physicality is subtle but effective, and her ability to twist familiar frustrations into something new gives her set a distinct flavour.
Summer Xia
The energy shifts again with Abhay Chokshi, who arrives with a bright smile and a youthful exuberance that instantly lifts the room. His material focuses on the quirks of living in New Zealand, especially Auckland, and the comparisons between life here and life in India. Traffic, food, cultural expectations, and the small oddities of Kiwi life all become fodder for his jokes. Abhay’s charm is his greatest asset. He is warm, approachable, and clearly delighted to be onstage, which makes the audience delighted to watch him.
Hiren Khatri follows with a set that leans heavily into relationship humour. Married life, stereotypes, and the differences in how he is treated depending on whether he is wearing his glasses all become recurring threads. He also returns several times to a bit about mature dirty talk, which gets laughs early on but loses steam by the end. Even so, Hiren’s delivery is confident, and his ability to poke fun at himself and his domestic life gives the audience plenty to enjoy.
One of the strongest sets of the night comes from Summer Xia, who taps into the very recent announcement of the New Zealand Citizenship Exam. Her material is sharp, topical, and delivered with a confidence that suggests she knows exactly how good the jokes are. She riffs on the difference between togs and undies, the subtle art of yeah nah versus nah yeah, and the cultural knowledge required to truly understand New Zealand. Summer has clearly earned her place in the comedy scene, and her understanding of Kiwi culture shines through every punchline.
Henry Yan
Anjula Prakash arrives with confidence and a strong opening. She talks about Fijian Indian mums and their emotionally aloof but brutally honest approach to parenting. She then launches into a long bit about why she would or would not survive working in the mining sector. She commits fully to the premise, and while the results are mixed, her boldness is admirable. Anjula’s stage presence is strong, and even when a joke does not land perfectly, she keeps the audience with her.
The second Henry of the night, Henry Cheung, brings a more relaxed, almost blasé energy. He seems unsure of his set list and appears to be playing it by ear, which is a risky choice in a short slot. But given that the crowd is getting restless near the end of the show, the looseness works in his favour. He jokes about cultural perspectives, fatherhood, and modern Asian identity, weaving through topics with a casual charm that keeps the audience engaged.
Lily Catastrophe
Finally, Lily Catastrophe closes out the lineup before Jess returns for the finale. Lily talks about parents, being the golden child, and the weight of parental expectations. Her trans identity adds an extra layer to the humour, giving familiar themes a fresh angle. Her delivery is confident, and she brings a thoughtful, personal touch to the night’s final stretch.
What makes Asian Comedy Takeover work is the sheer variety of styles and voices. There is no single tone, no unified aesthetic, no attempt to make the performers fit into a single mould. Instead, the show celebrates the diversity within Asian comedy itself. Themes of citizenship, parents, marriage, cultural identity, and the immigrant experience appear throughout the night, but each comedian approaches them from a different angle.
The audience is equally diverse, and the performers clearly enjoy playing with that. Any joke that splits the room becomes an opportunity for more laughter, more connection, and more shared recognition.
Asian Comedy Takeover is not a perfect show, but it is a joyful one. It is a celebration of community, culture, and the many ways comedy can reflect the world we live in. It is lively, heartfelt, and full of personality, and it offers a glimpse into the future of Asian comedy in Aotearoa.
The show is part of the NZ International Comedy Festival. Find tickets to a show near you here
Review written by Alex Moulton