Review: Jenny Tian’s ‘Picture This’ at Convenients
Jenny Tian: Picture This at Convenients
Friday, February 10, 2023
8.5/10
TikTok and instagram comedian Jenny Tian was a delightful addition to the 2023 Fringe World stage, making her Western Australian debut with Jenny Tian: Picture This.
Bold, witty and highly amusing, Tian’s quick-fire comedic timing and integration of storytelling elements with clever one-liners were the perfect recipe for an hour of hilarious stand-up which simply flew by! Armed with a trusty clicker and good old fashioned laptop presentation, Tian sped through tales of teenage love and friendships, dating woes, family politics and her unadulterated love for garlic bread.
Accompanied by, in the kindest way, the most terrible Microsoft Paint drawings to hit the Fringe stage this year, though endearingly and amusingly so, Tian’s highly visual performance brought a little more life to the classic stand-up set. Almost akin to a Lucy Peach performance, if the show was less menstrual, more unhinged, and had failed art school. These slides were nevertheless a great addition to show. For those at the back, the accessibility of a low screen may have decreased that experience however, as the Convenients technical staging was surprisingly low, not to the fault of Tian, however.
Promised as a journey of stand-up, punctuated with three ‘major betrayals,’ Tian guided the audience between betrayals of culture, of friendship and of love, interweaving petty high school squabbles and amusing shenanigans, with her more profound experiences of struggling to navigate intercultural relationships and identities as a young Chinese-Australian woman.
Despite having been elevated to the Australian consciousness through social media platforms, Tian’s on-stage presence was highly engaging and entertaining. While often quiet and calm in her demeanour, she consistently held the audience’s attention without difficulty, even in the quieter transitionary moments between her stand-up sections, and her storytelling, which she performed seated.
Despite a large portion of her work being about her identity as a Chinese person, and her relationship with people and practices in her culture, Tian’s hilarious jokes and entertaining stories never felt like they were at the expense of her culture. Tian masterfully avoiding the easily deprecating perspectives which are often, problematically, the most open to, and expected of BIPOC comedians , in the Australian scene (calling to mind an incident this year where another comedian asked an audience member when their uber shift was commencing, to their great offence…). Instead her comedy was intelligently and powerfully crafted, leaving her in control of every moment with the subject matter, and audience, at all times.
Jenny Tian: Picture This was comedy storytelling at its finest. Tian brought a fresh face and new work to the festival, and will no doubt be returning based on the popularity of this show’s run. For those seeking a night of easy laughs and expert storytelling, this is the show for you!
BEC WELDON