Phuong Nam: The face paving the way for stand-up comedy, determined to "pursue" Saigon Teu despite being criticized for humor

As one of the five founders of the first stand-up comedy group in Vietnam - Saigon Teu, Phuong Nam gradually became a favorite face of young people from his very humorous personality.

Born and raised in the city named after Uncle, Phuong Nam is one of the four founders of Saigon Teu - a famous stand-up comedy group in the South. Besides performing monologues, Phuong Nam is also a student of Educational Psychology at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education.

He soon cherished the dream of building a community where people could experience stand-up comedy confident to be themselves. Since April 2020, the group has more than 482K subscribers. Member Phuong Nam has become a "viral" phenomenon with millions of views and more than 169,000 followers on Facebook.

About two years ago, Phuong Nam accidentally came across an English stand-up comedy club in Ho Chi Minh City. Most of the members are foreigners, performing comedy in English.

"In the past, I did tours for the English club. There has been a market for stand-up comedy for foreigners in Vietnam for a long time.

Vietnamese comedy differs from English in that English is more comfortable in topics such as adult stories, politics or darker such as death. There is even a genre of stand-up comedy called insulting comedy. You walk on stage, pick a person and attack that person, it's very normal. We Vietnamese prefer what is close rather than deep," Phuong Nam said.

Nam's first performance began when Phuong Nam went to a café with an "open mic" stage. This is inherently a very good culture of stand-up comedy. Talking about the first time I went on tour, Phuong Nam said: "That day, I went to a café with an "open mic" stage. This is inherently a very good culture of stand-up comedy. The café will be equipped with a stage and microphone. Anyone who wants to try it can sign up and go there to perform. It is both a place for newbies and a training ground for veteran actors to see the audience's reaction to the jokes they have just come up with.

That day was the first time I knew stand-up comedy and knew about that stage. I sat and watched everyone for a while and thought, why don't I give it a try? So I went to act. I don't remember what I said, I just remember everything being fun. People connect with me and see this stage as home. That place allows me to be comfortable, show my hidden corners. After finishing the performance, walking down the stage, I immediately met Mr. Uy Nguyen. The brothers went to find other brothers Uy Le, Hien and Tung and formed the group Saigon Teu in 2020."

Currently, people know stand-up comedy in large numbers, but not many dare to try. That is Saigon Teu's mission: to create a comfortable and safe community where everyone can be themselves.

Almost any stand-up comedian on stage will do something that causes ecstasy and the audience doesn't understand what he's referring to.

But for Fang South, he was never afraid to face standing in front of a crowd to speak. Maybe it's fear that before going on stage I wasn't prepared for my performance. Once Nam stepped on stage, it was like home. The stage was never something that made Nam feel pressured.

Southern came to stand-up comedy perhaps because the "life" of this subject is very similar to his personality - frank and outspoken.

"Monologue comedy is closer to me. I like this art in that the actor doesn't have to play any character. When I'm on stage, I get to be myself, say what I think, and express my perspective. We used to joke with each other: "Stand-up comedians are not clowns." Clowns make people laugh at me, stand-up comedy is people laughing at me about an issue or perspective."

During your career period, facing negative things is inevitable. Especially for the art field that Nam is pursuing.

That's because there's a difference in thinking between stand-up comedians and comedy audiences. "comedy" are two words that seem to be associated with the South in the beginning.

Nam recounted a time when he was "criticized" in an equally "difficult" situation that made him unforgettable: "Once I went to a bar, suddenly a stranger came to greet me "Oh are you Phuong Nam Saigon Teu?" and pointed directly to his face "I'm honest, I don't like your comedy. You don't see me laughing at all."

I was curious, sat down and asked him why I didn't like it. He commented that he wanted stand-up comedy to have topical and satirical elements like foreign countries, while "I watch comedy you just find it funny, nothing deep."

Phuong Nam said that Phuong Nam himself or Saigon Teu would need such advice. Frank but respectful, this is the type of feedback that helps the team build better Teu products later. After that "fateful" night, the two also became good brothers from time to time.

Nam, on the other hand, is terrified of the echo chamber – a state in which he is surrounded by winged compliments that reinforce his belief that he is the best. Being in that "chamber" of fame for so long makes it impossible for him to recognize shortcomings and grow. It is these painful "figs" that teach Nam more valuable lessons.

Currently, the name Phuong Nam Saigon Teu is quite well known to young audiences. His talent is appreciated by many. Surely in the future, Phuong Nam will develop further in his career.