Despite it being the start of May Week, a small but enthusiastic crowd came to see Cambridge and Footlights alum Phil Wang grace the ADC stage once more as part of the ex-Footlights Edinburgh Preview shows. Describing his hour of comedy as a practice run for Edinburgh Fringe, Wang performed his new show Mellow Yellow in addition to some older material.

Winner of the Chortle Student Comedy Award in 2010, Wang has continued to flourish on the comedy scene post-university, and has appeared on the Rob Brydon Show. Reviews describe him as a “very promising up-and-comer” (Independent) and “master of the intellectual dick joke” (Time Out). Wang did not disappoint with his slick and incisive comedy.

Wang started by introducing himself and explaining the title of his new show, Mellow Yellow, ‘Mellow’ because he is a chilled guy. Before he could even explain the ‘Yellow’ part, a man sat towards the front exclaimed and guffawed, as if the subsequent racial interpretation was inevitable and clichéd. Race is indeed an important topic in Wang’s set, but his comments are acerbic and original. A subtle and sardonic touch was the noted omission of saying ‘Chinese’ before restaurant, food, New Year and even burn. 

The rest of Wang’s set is dedicated to his exploration of the possibilities of his comedian identity, trying on different comic hats that analyse different types and styles of comedians with a highly self-aware manner. He highlights the trend of young male comedians being self-deprecating about their sexual prowess: while Wang is equally self-analytical, his comments are far from the usual ungainly awkwardness. He offers smart honesty, discussing for example the difficulty in distinguishing between sexual tension and just plain tension. He follows with comments on masculinity and its portrayal in advertising, particularly from fast food companies. This segment was by far one of the most original and hilariously rendered parts of the set.

One of Wang’s final parts was a reading of a self-penned interview of himself that he would ideally like to see in The Observer magazine. Hilariously self-aggrandising and eccentric, the letter showed a quirkier side to Wang’s humour. The highlight was the clever and witty reference to The Two Ronnies when Wang revealed his personal twenty-first century version of four candles/fork handles.

Wang followed with some older material, as his comedy characters kept the audience laughing; a description of how frustrated he gets with his irritatingly calm and supportive father was a final flourish to his slick and fast set.

Smart, witty and original, Wang displayed great professionalism and was at ease on stage. He professed his gratitude for everyone showing up to watch him and asked for audience comments at the end – this humility is warming and shows Wang to not only be a comedy talent to watch, but also just a trusty stand-up guy (pun very much intended).