Hong Kong
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With her short hair and unshowy clothing, Fan Chunli looks every bit the middle-aged woman from rural China. Among a crowd of youngsters vying to become the next breakout star in one of China’s most popular stand-up comedy contests, she stands out.
But when the 50-year-old takes the mic, she beams with life and drips sarcasm, unloading jokes about her abusive ex-husband that bring the audience into a mix of laughter and tears.
Hailing from a place where simply knowing how to use the internet “makes me the Elon Musk of my village,” Fan is the latest sensation in China’s booming scene for stand-up comedy, an artform that offers an outlet for pent-up grievances in a country that often stifles open discussion of politics or society.
