The funniest standup I’ve ever seen
Probably Eddie Pepitone’s show at the 2012 fringe. He was so raw and funny and angry and kind. I came out of that dank cave trembling with astonishment.
The funniest person I know
My fellow Daphne boys [Wang is a member of the sketch group], George Fouracres and Jason Forbes, who I consider to be one person mainly for tax reasons. George is a crazy, crumpled genius, and Jason has a caustic wit and winning arrogance to challenge even my own.
The funniest book I’ve ever read
Catch 22. It is the finest farce I have ever come across and I’ve seen a lot of Frasier. It is about the absurdity of war and the selfishness of the human condition and it is so, so funny.
The funniest film I’ve ever seen
A Singaporean film called I Not Stupid. It’s a really well observed comedy about primary school children in Singapore and chimed with my experiences in Malaysia. Weirdly, every western performer in it is terrible. Perhaps it was a political decision by the director to make white actors look bad. Which, in the wake of the most recent Academy Awards, we could probably do with a lot more of.
The funniest heckle I’ve ever had
During a gig in Osaka I talked about how much pussy I’ve been eating and a US Navy chef in the crowd said: “You are what you eat”, which is excellent.
The funniest sketch I’ve ever seen
There’s a sketch in Limmy’s Show about a man who introduces his new girlfriend to his two pals. When she turns up, she is actually a little old man. That’s it, but I lose my mind every time I see it.
The funniest item of clothing I’ve ever owned
I used to have a T-shirt with a picture of Chairman Mao and beneath it the word LMAO.
The funniest meal I’ve ever eaten
In Tokyo, a friend took me to a place that does mackerel that they blowtorch right in front of you. The chef entrusted my friend with a lemon wedge, instructing him to squeeze it over the fish on the count of three. He did and the chef shouted: “Good lemon!” Then all the other chefs in the restaurant shouted: “GOOD LEMON!”
Phil Wang: Philth is at Soho Theatre , W1, Monday to Thursday
