Toronto Fringe Review: All Of Our Parents Are Asian

Shaun Hunter and Alfred Chow have carved out a nice little niche for themselves in the comedy scene. The talented improvisers focus on the unique challenges and absurdities of growing up Asian, and they do it by riffing hilariously on the real-life experiences of Asians around them.

All of Our Parents Are Asian is split into two parts. In the first, the pair interviews a special guest – at the performance I attended, it was actor and model Akansha Sareen – followed by scenes based on that interview. In the second part, the two draw inspiration from anonymous written replies from the audience to the question: “What is a secret your parents don’t know about you?”

The result feels fresh because, like all good comedy, it comes from a truthful place.  

In her interview, the delightful Sareen brought up things like Indian-parent-approved dating sites, how Asian parents show their love for their kids and the confidence (or lack thereof) of South Asian men.

These statements resulted in a couple of amusing scenes, the funniest of which involved a man bringing his father into the emergency room because he’s being too supportive and so must be dying. 

An audience suggestion about hiring a cleaning person inspired the duo to a very funny scene in which a son, his visiting mother and his cleaning lady all inhabited the same scene, with a brutally funny final moment.

The two comics could sharpen the way they establish their characters, and at this particular show Hunter seemed more playful and creative in his offers than Chow. But they’ve got a good sense of place – they know how to suggest a world around them, be it a record store or a highway. And their attempts at filling in characters’ histories through flashbacks often produce some solid laughs.

The two perform regularly around town as a duo named Mahjong Mafia and in a troupe called Affirmative Reaction, the latter with Amrutha Krishnan and Chrissy Sharma. I’m definitely interested in seeing where they go. 

All of Our Parents Are Asian is on now until July 15 as part of the Toronto Fringe. Tickets and show times here.