Mumma Yang is worried about her son being single for the rest of his life, so she has told him to do a standup comedy to showcase his talent of talking continuously for an hour. If there is anything the ladies love, it is a man who will not stop talking! He will discuss topics like dating for an ‘awkward guy’, family relationships, being 30 years old and imitation crab.
Some comedians walk onstage with swagger. Henry Yan walks onstage with the energy of someone who has been sent on a mission by his mother and is still trying to figure out how he got roped into it. Mum Wants A Girlfriend (For Me?) is a show built on awkward first dates, questionable romantic decisions, and the relentless pressure of parental expectations. It is charming, chaotic, and surprisingly heartfelt.
Henry is a young comic with a bright, slightly frantic presence. He has that endearing quality where you can see the gears turning in his head as he speaks, and half the fun is watching him follow whatever thought pops up next. The show technically has a central narrative about a first date, but Henry treats structure like a polite suggestion rather than a rule. He veers off into tangents with absolute commitment, creating a sprawling tree of stories that branch in every direction. The audience gets a huge laugh every time he circles back and reminds us, almost sheepishly, that we are still talking about the conversational topics of his date.
These tangents are where Henry shines. One moment he is dissecting awkward text conversations, the next he is talking about parties, then suddenly he is deep into a horse joke that has no business being as funny as it is. He has an unshakeable love for horses, and he brings them up with the enthusiasm of someone who knows it is ridiculous but cannot help himself. It is quirky, but it works because he leans into it with sincerity.
Henry’s crowd work is another major part of the show. He loves interacting with the audience, and he pounces on latecomers with the excitement of a puppy spotting a new toy. A door opens, someone tries to slip in quietly, and Henry immediately lights up. He peppers them with questions, riffs off their answers, and folds them into the show as if they were always meant to be part of it, threatening to restart the show to catch them up on what they've missed. He is quick on his feet, and his improvisation feels natural rather than forced.
There is a youthful looseness to his set. You can tell he is maturing in his comedic voice but still figuring out which stories hit hardest and which tangents need trimming. That rawness is part of the charm. He performs with a kind of earnest vulnerability that makes the audience root for him. Even when he is laughing at his own jokes, which he does constantly, it feels genuine rather than self-indulgent. He is having fun, and that energy is contagious.
The heart of the show lies in the tension between Henry’s desire to find love and the pressure he feels from his parents. He jokes about needing to provide grandchildren, about being pushed into dating for reasons that have nothing to do with romance, and about the absurdity of trying to meet expectations that feel impossible. Beneath the humour is a quiet theme about self-worth. Henry talks openly about the need to love yourself before you can expect someone else to love you, and he does it in a way that feels honest rather than preachy.
This underlying sincerity gives the show emotional weight. While the audience laughs at the train wreck of his dating life, we also recognise the universal longing for connection. Whether it is the desire for parental approval, the hope of finding a partner, or the simple need to feel seen, Henry taps into something relatable. He makes space for vulnerability without losing the comedic momentum.
His material covers a wide range of topics. Awkward parties, strange advice from friends, the pitfalls of modern dating, and the bizarre rituals of trying to impress someone all make an appearance. He talks about being vulnerable in front of strangers, about the fear of saying the wrong thing, and about the strange comfort of oversharing when you are nervous. These moments land because Henry delivers them with a mix of self awareness and self mockery that feels authentic.
The structure of the show is loose, but the through line is clear enough to keep the audience anchored. Every tangent eventually loops back to the central story, and the payoff is always worth the detour. The laughter that erupts when he finally reconnects the dots is one of the highlights of the night. It feels like watching someone navigate a maze they built themselves, only to realise they forgot where the exit was.
Henry’s stage presence is warm and approachable. He does not posture or pretend to be cooler than he is. He leans into his awkwardness, embraces his quirks, and lets the audience see the parts of himself that many people would hide. That honesty is what makes the show work. You get the sense that he is not performing a character. He is simply being Henry, and that is enough.
There are moments where the set feels slightly scattered, where a tangent goes on a bit too long or a joke loses steam. But even in those moments, Henry’s charm carries him through. He has a natural ability to win the audience back with a quick smile, a self deprecating comment, or a sudden shift into a new story. The imperfections make the show feel alive rather than over rehearsed.
By the end of the hour, the audience feels like they have been on a journey with him. Not a polished, tightly structured journey, but a heartfelt, funny, and deeply human one. Henry Yan is a comic who is still growing, still experimenting, and still discovering the full range of his comedic voice. But the foundation is strong. He is relatable, quick witted, and unafraid to be vulnerable.
Mum Wants A Girlfriend (For Me?) is a quirky, sympathetic, and thoroughly enjoyable show. It blends awkward humour with genuine emotion, and it leaves the audience laughing while also feeling a surprising amount of affection for Henry and his chaotic search for love. It is a show that reminds you that even the messiest stories can be meaningful, and that sometimes the best comedy comes from simply being honest about who you are.
The show is part of the NZ International Comedy Festival. Find tickets to a show near you here
Review written by Alex Moulton