I FIRST MET actor Chris Wegoda while holding auditions for THE NATIVES a comical satirical play (tightly written, exceptionally great dialogue - whoever wrote that thing?) about dysfunctional English language teachers in Thailand. Chris Wegoda was chosen to take the role of a nerdy intellectual academic (forever typecast, is Wegoda) thrown together with a red-neck Kiwi, a yoga bothering eco-warrior vegan, a Vietnam war Washington Square acid casualty, a Star Wars geek and a bargirl. Parts played by Jay Acton, Meirav Botley, John Marengo, FC Beer Nieuwoudt and Suwida Boonyatistarn respectively. The show is on ice. I mean, not like Disney on ice. Nor performed on meth. The show is on hold, for now. But guys, if you are reading lets get it back on track.
I digress....
In the meantime Chris has been a busy man, camping it up in The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Checkinn and again in the Second World War stage production Bent. Not only has Chris trod the boards across town he has also penned a deal for a motion picture being shot here in Thailand and also does a bit of modeling work on the side. As long as I can recall he has been an active member of the Bangkok Comedy circuit and is about to launch his own - The Comedy Club Bangkok will be situated on the top floor of one of our favourite boozers - The Royal Oak.
I caught up with Chris Wegoda yesterday.
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| Wegoda. Standing up. |
What makes you laugh?
I think about this for a lot. For sure everyday life is funny, it just is. Not everything of course, just the funny bits. In terms of watching comedy, it wasn’t stand-up when I was growing up in the UK, sitcoms were huge such as Only Fools and Horses, also improv comedy with Whose Line is It Anyway? And perhaps my favourite, Shooting Stars a mock game-show of craziness and fun with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer… Now of course stand-up and panel-shows are all the rage.
What's all this comedy business down at the Royal Oak?
Ha! Bangkok’s first dedicated comedy venue! After running The Londoner open-mic for 3 years and that pub closing down, it was time to move on and move up. Bangkok deserves a real comedy club. The scene is lightyears ahead of what there was before The Londoner, as it is as much about cultivating the comedy scene with the resident Bangkokians as bringing in professional talent. Plus now the improv comedy scene is really kicking and I've teemed up with Canadian pro improviser Drew McCreadie (an award winner no less)! So the combination of stand-up, improv and a lot more now has a home and to start with the audience will know where to go every Friday for comedy.
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| The Royal Oak. Yesterday. |
Tell us about the strangest thing that's happened at a comedy event?
Where to start… a drunk guy falling off his chair, another guy violently vomiting (not because of the comedy), me trying to (jokingly) chat up a girl on stage and finding out she’s a lesbian, or a comedian emptying large chunks of the audience? There’s been a few!
Chris, you also have some stage and film stuff going on, tell us about it?
It’s funny that when I started doing comedy, I was not keen on the label ‘comedian’ I wanted to be called an actor first and foremost, now I have to say both! As for the acting I do anything, film, short film, commercials, voice-overs (such as in the English dub of Yak – Thailand’s biggest budget and most successful animation of all time) and more. For stage, I recently had the lead in BENT – a play about the persecution of homosexuals and WWII, worlds apart from my comedy work although it did have many comedic moments. It was the first play for ’Peel The Limelight’ who’s aim is to bring professional theatre to Bangkok, and trust me they did! Honoured to be a part. Also recently I did the musicals Moulin Rouge as Christian and The Rocky Horror Show as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Thankfully all well received. I also work on film such as the Thai cinema release movie ‘Scissors, egg, silk and 2 ½ Baht and will be shooting as the lead in English language, Thai produced comedy later this year.
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| A Yak. This morning. |
What's the best way to spend an evening in Bangkok, if its raining, and you forgot your raincoat?
Well if you have a partner the answer is pretty obvious and if you don’t it’s important to love yourself. Asides from that, I like watching old British television and one or two new American series. I’m also a big movie buff.
Well if you have a partner the answer is pretty obvious and if you don’t it’s important to love yourself. Asides from that, I like watching old British television and one or two new American series. I’m also a big movie buff.
Top five movies?
I hate these questions! These might not be my top five exactly, but they are damned good movies!
Godfather 1&2
Goodfellas
Empire Strikes Back
Aliens
A Beautiful Mind
Predator
Tootsie
Thanks and look forward to seeing the first show!!!
Cheers. The GRAND OPENING SHOW of The Comedy Club Bangkok, September 12, 8pm!!
Incredible to have such an incredible headliner from L.A (originally from Scotland) plus awesome local Bangkok talent for a show of stand-up AND improv comedy (think Whose Line is it Anyway?)!
Tickets Just 500 baht in advance or 750 baht on the door (includes a drink), now on sale at The Royal Oak and online at www.comedyclubbangkok.com !!!
