Welcome to Friday Club. Insider, our series of conversations with the people shaping culture right now. For this edition, we sit down with stand-up comedian Gianmarco Soresi in between two sold-out shows during his first visit to Hong Kong as part of his ‘Culturally Flexible’ comedy tour.
When New York stand-up comedian Gianmarco Soresi stepped onto the Hong Kong stage, the crowd quickly learned what audiences worldwide already knew – his humour travels fast and lands with the same force halfway across the world as it does in downtown Manhattan. Known for his timing, restless charm, and big-theatre energy, Gianmarco’s storytelling has made him one of the most watchable voices in comedy today.
In this edition of Friday Club. Insider, Gianmarco opens up about the surprises of performing across cultures. From eating his way through dim sum feasts to reworking punchlines between cities, he found himself adjusting on the fly – tuning into new rooms, new references, and, as he put it, ‘a new identity to play with’ as an American abroad.
Editor’s note: Responses have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
Read More: Friday Club. Insider – Garance Marillier On The Path To ‘Couture’ And Beyond
What made you decide to embark on an Asia tour in this part of your career and life?
I think it’s, you get a lot of comments online and they say: come to this, come to that. In the beginning, you don’t know – I’ve been told to come to Alabama, and then you set up a show and three people show up, and you’re like: eight people told me to come, what the hell?
So it’s just gradual. I did Europe and I was surprised by how many people were there, and you go, ‘oh, YouTube’s reach is really big here.’ And then Australia’s surprising, and with Asia it’s definitely like the comedy scene is still newer, so there’s not as many venues.
You get to a place where – I was actually going to go to Tokyo probably, like, two years ago? – and then we had to cancel because the trip was too long. But also, sales were not great. So it’s like, I sold 13 tickets, so then it’s like, ‘oh, okay, so I’m going to go there and lose money.’
So finally it’s just in a place where I can go. I want to go, and just, I want to be able to keep making a living and support this little company I’ve built. And I’ve always wanted to go to Asia, but the reason that it’s the perfect time is because I was able to – I sold out almost every show so far and it’s enough money to pay for the flight and stuff. It’s been a dream. I’ve never been to Asia until these last three weeks.
Is there something from your set that surprised you by getting either a bigger or a different reaction here than back home?
Yeah, I think it’s just when you talk about America, the reaction is different because you’re talking to people who see America through a very specific lens versus being American.
I think when I’m home in America, I play with, you know, being Jewish or, like, a white guy in America. And then when you’re overseas somewhere else, you’re first and foremost an American. And that’s a new identity to play with and twist and, you know, jokingly make fun of my country.
And also talk about: these are the ways that the countries are similar, playing off those jokes, and the differences – that’s where the real discovery is.
How much of your set do you tweak between each city?
I definitely look through to find what references might not make sense, or as I go throughout the day, a new joke will pop in my head. And I always try to lean into the new material, ’cause where else am I going to talk about the streets of Hong Kong than in, you know, Hong Kong?
But I often am surprised, and this is the privilege of being an American comic, because our media is so present in every part of the world. I can talk about a shocking amount of things. So many other countries, if they came to America, they couldn’t talk about specifics. But I could talk about the Secretary of Health, RFK Jr., and most people know – if I do his voice, they know that, and that’s insane.
And Americans can never complain about how comedy is hard in other countries, because it’s way harder the other way around.
What is something you’ve done, seen, or eaten in Hong Kong that you would recommend to anyone who comes here?
I had a gigantic – I was told – traditional dim sum meal. And I will eat and try anything new. I’ve had some stuff, whether it be in Japan or Taiwan, that was definitely, like, a chicken asshole? And at the dim sum, there was definitely a bowl of… cow stomach, I think? Just like a bowl of cow ‘we’re-not-sure,’ and I ate it all – it was so good.
And I don’t even know the things that I’m eating, but I cannot wait to go back for a dim sum meal. It was amazing.
Follow Gianmarco Soresi on Instagram to stay updated on her latest work.
Born in Korea and raised in Hong Kong, Min Ji has combined her degree in anthropology and creative writing with her passion for going on unsolicited tangents as an editor at Friday Club. In between watching an endless amount of movies, she enjoys trying new cocktails and pastas while occasionally snapping a few pictures.
