Review: JIN HAO LI: SWIMMING IN A SUBMARINE, Soho Theatre

“If I fight this uphill battle, I’m gonna die on top”

Jin Hao Li: Swimming in a Submarine is the first stand-up show I have been to in which, before the show starts, the comedian goes around the audience, giving each person a thumbs-up and asking, “You good?” It’s a surprise, but a welcome one that makes something immediately clear - Jin Hao Li is not your average comedian.

The show begins with Li sharing wisdom that has been passed down to him, including a sign he came across in the woods one day warning, “Stay on the path or you hurt the trees.” While this might seem to be reasonable to most, Li points out the hypocrisy of the sign made out of wood warning people not to hurt the trees - even the path he is advised to stay on is made of wood! It is observations like these that carry us through most of the hour we have with Li, which he claims is actually four hours and that the time is flying by because everyone is having fun. 

The show’s structure is simple - Li is sharing some important moments from his childhood, particularly three recurring nightmares and three dreams he had growing up. But the show is not as simple as the structure, as Li has a tendency to go on some truly bizarre and delightful tangents that will have you forgetting what these dreams and nightmares were in the first place. 

Something that Li uses for many of his jokes is long pauses for comedic effect, oftentimes letting the audience think about something before bringing in a joke that is totally out of left field. A prime example of this is when, after some observational comedy about phrases like “There’s no ‘i’ in team” and “‘Impossible’ spells ‘I’m possible,’” he simply says, “You can’t deduce truth from spelling” before moving on to the next subject. 

Along with long pauses, Li has a tendency to suddenly make statements that no one could have expected. When talking about how he used to look at the moon for guidance, he speaks to it, saying “Oh Neil, guide me with your strong arms,” asking the first man on the moon for his help. There are also some truly terrible puns, with one of my favourites being, “It’s hard to date a ghost . . . They’re so possessive!” Li is so pleased with himself after this joke that he runs to get a high-five from an audience member. 

An unexpected highlight of the show? The way Li interacts with the audience. Even though he has promised himself (and his agent!) that he will not get distracted by the audience during this show and will stick to the script, he has a tendency to find particular people in the audience he is interested in and will spend parts of the show on them. 

Jin Hao Li: Swimming in a Submarine is a delightful mischievous show that enables Li to stand out from the crowd and establish himself as one of the best and most unique comedians on the rise. As Li says, “playing pretend is so fun,” and we can only hope that none of his nightmares come to pass. 

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