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All The World's A Stage...
Do you need an actor, stand-up comedian, singer, MC, guest speaker, stage manager or publicist for your play, film, commercial, party, corporate training programme, conference, PR event...? I'm ready and waiting for your call.
I'm Kay Ross in Hong Kong, and I LOVE watching, participating in and marketing the performing arts.
Check out my performing arts CV and my fab photo gallery, then contact me today if you need my services.
A multi-talented performer
As a teenager in Adelaide, Australia, I was a member of a youth theatre group called The Saturday Company for four years; I sang in the choir and performed in theatre productions at Adelaide Girls' High School, and I sang in the choir and studied drama for one year at Adelaide University.
Since then, I've done countless workshops in acting, improvising, stand-up comedy, singing and dancing.
When I was based in Edinburgh, Scotland, from August 1979 to October 1980, I performed in some amateur theatre productions, including one in the 1980 Fringe Festival.
In Hong Kong, I've been involved in lots of shows with the Hong Kong Players, Hong Kong Singers, American Community Theater, Kassia Women's Choir and other groups - I've performed onstage and/or helped with publicity or stage management.
I've also done some professional acting gigs: I was an extra in a local feature film; played Margaret Thatcher in a TV commercial; appeared as Mrs Santa Claus in a Christmas promotion in several shopping-malls; was a story-teller for local kindergarten students; and acted in an online promotional video for a group of Hong Kong hotels (see my blog post about that experience).
As an added bonus, I speak fluent French (so I've played lots of French maids, ooh la la!).
The healing power of laughter
Since February 2007, I've regularly performed my own original stand-up comedy material at the TakeOut Comedy Club, Hong Kong's (and Asia's) only full-time, dedicated comedy venue.
For a taste of my stand-up style, check out this YouTube video of my performance at the late-night show at the Club on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2009 (thanks to cameraman James Foreman).
I'm also a member of People's Liberation Improv (PLI), a comedy improvisation troupe based at the Club. We perform comedy improv shows featuring improv games based on crazy suggestions from the audience (think "Whose Line is it Anyway?"). On August 26, 2009, we did our first international show, in Macau. Here's an article about PLI from "BC Magazine", July 2, 2009.
The TakeOut Comedy Club is in the basement of 34 Elgin Street, SoHo, Hong Kong (next door to Alfredo Italian restaurant). Walk up the Mid-levels escalator to Elgin Street, turn right, and the Club is just a few doors down on your right.
My upcoming performances at the Club are:
Saturday March 20, 9.30pm, $150 - stand-up comedy
Thursday March 25, 9pm, $120 - PLI will perform two short sets in the "Comedy Dim Sum" show
Saturday March 27, 9.30pm, $150 - stand-up comedy
Friday April 2 (yes, the Easter Friday public holiday), 9.30pm, $150 - a 1.5-hour comedy improv show by People's Liberation Improv
Saturday April 3, 9.30pm, $150 - stand-up comedy
Saturday April 10, 11pm, $150 - stand-up comedy
Saturday April 24, 9.30pm - stand-up comedy
Thursday April 29, 8.30pm - PLI will perform two short sets in the "Comedy Dim Sum" show
Saturday May 1, 9.30pm, $150 - stand-up comedy
Friday May 7, 9.30pm, $150 - a 1.5-hour comedy improv show by People's Liberation Improv
Most shows last for about 1.5 hours. Each stand-up comedy show features about 6-8 solo performers (all English-speaking).
Sorry, no food or drinks on sale at the venue (but people have been known to bring in their own cans and bottles - shhhh, don't tell anyone). Audience members receive a two-for-one voucher for drinks at either Fat Angelo's (on Friday) or the Bhatti Bar (on Saturday) after the show.
To book for any shows, e-mail jami@takeoutcomedy.com or call Jami Gong at 6220 4436, then pay cash at the door. Booking recommended. And ask Jami about group discounts if you want to bring a whole heap of friends, colleagues, family-members, strangers you just met in a bar...
And visit www.takeoutcomedy.com for news of all our English-language shows on Friday and Saturday nights, Tuesday-night open-mic nights, regular comedy improv shows, monthly free training workshops for wannabe stand-up comedians, plus regular Cantonese-language shows. ......... Comedython, May 8 Coming soon: a 12-hour comedy marathon presented by the TakeOut Comedy Club, featuring stand-up comedy, comic skits, and comedy improvisation by People's Liberation Improv. All in aid of the Hong Kong Dog Rescue charity. Saturday May 8, 1pm - Sunday May 9, 1am
Champs Bar, Charterhouse Hotel, 201-219 Wanchai Road, Wanchai
Ticket details to be confirmed.
.......
I've also performed stand-up comedy at:
- open-mic nights at comedy clubs in New York City in May 2007; Honolulu, Hawaii, in September 2007, and Tucson, Arizona, in April 2008
- the 2007 and 2008 Christmas parties of the HK Women Business Owners Club
- the V-Day fundraising show at Swindler's bar in Wanchai on March 15, 2008
- a gathering of CouchSurfing members in Bali on December 29, 2008
- "Twestival Hong Kong" at Guru, September 12, 2009
- a gig at Dada Bar + Lounge, Tsim Sha Tsui, on January 22, 2010, organised by the TakeOut Comedy Club and featuring me and five other comedians from the Club
Contact me today if you'd like me to perform at your club, party or corporate event.
Soul Sister 2 - Kassia Women's Choir
I'm rehearsing with the fabulous Kassia Women's Choir for our "Soul Sister 2" season of gospel and spiritual songs (I also sang in the choir's first "Soul Sister" season, in March 2004).
Tuesday March 23, 8pm, St. Mary's Church, 2A Tai Hang Road, Causeway Bay
Wednesday March 24, 8pm, St. John's Cathedral, 4-8 Garden Road, Central
The programe will feature songs such as "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Joyful, Joyful" (from the film "Sister Act 2"), "This Little Light of Mine" and "Feel Good" (as featured on the choir's "The First Five Years" CD).
Tickets $200 ($160 concession)
To book, use the online order form or e-mail celia@katterwall.com
Programme enquiries: 2575 3931 / 6149 3558 / info@katterwall.com
Duration: 1 hour
People aged 4+ welcome
And there's more...
All of my performing arts experience helps me to be a more effective marketer, editor, writer, trainer and public speaker, so YOU'LL get better results. For example:
- I regularly present training seminars about marketing and media relations that are particularly popular with visual and performing artists and arts organisations.
- I used to be the Listings Editor at the South China Morning Post newspaper - for six years I compiled the daily listings of what was on around town (e.g. performing and visual arts shows, arthouse films, community events etc.). So I know what journalists want and need.
- I've written many feature articles about the arts and performing artists
- I edit the English-language text for the monthly diary of events and the programme for the annual City Festival at the Hong Kong Fringe Club, our leading alternative arts venue.
- I often do volunteer or paid work on marketing campaigns for performing arts shows and events - I was the professional publicist for the 1986 Adelaide Fringe Festival, and have helped with marketing and front-of-house duties for many shows in Hong Kong.
- Watching and performing in shows helps me to understand human psychology and behaviour (and that helps me with my healing work too).
So if you're looking for someone with my unique combination of talents, please contact me today. |
