Sydney, this city seems to never lack a romantic essence.
The silhouette of the Opera House, the fireworks at Darling Harbour,
The sea breeze at Palm Beach, the sunset at Watsons Bay.
If, I mean if,
This city could add just a touch of humor,
Wouldn’t it become more vibrant and joyful?
[On The Road Comedy]
Sydney’s exclusive stand-up comedy brand
We’re off!
We’re on the road!
Who is “On The Road”?
A young comedy company focused on producing high-quality comedic content and live comedy experiences.
We are a local Sydney comedy brand specializing in Mandarin stand-up (with some English as well).
Here, you’ll find a group of expressive, unique, and carefree young people.
We love comedy and stand-up culture (essentially, we just want to make people laugh), and we enjoy creating and performing, which is why we built this stage together.
This is not just a celebration for a few; it’s a gathering of many interesting souls in Sydney.
Why is it called “On The Road”?
The name comes from a song by Wang Yitai, but let’s be honest, we know you probably haven’t heard it.
It’s actually derived from Jack Kerouac’s book On the Road, which represents one of the literary works of the Beat Generation. The book’s theme is freedom, which is the spirit we aspire to pursue.
It even employs a form of spontaneous writing, aligning perfectly with our comedic approach of “thinking on our feet.”
There’s a line in the book that resonates with us: “We are always young. Always full of tears.” (Let’s be real, we just wanted to sound profound.)
“Interesting people do joyful things.”
“Let’s make a part of Sydney laugh first.”
On The Road: Our Story
“Maybe I could give stand-up comedy a shot.”
That summer of 2020, as Tuanzi prepared to leave the university campus and embrace adulthood, she also bid farewell to a heart-wrenching (and time-wasting) romance.
Her most passionate and carefree youth had been consumed in the tug-of-war and mutual harm with her partner, like a grand joke.
After the breakup, a wave of insecurity, vulnerability, and confusion swept over her, leading her to question whether she would ever be accepted again.
In a fit of rebellion, she downloaded social media apps, trying to expand her social circle. She hoped to quickly forget her ex, only to realize that her actions felt like mere self-deception.
During that time, Tuanzi spent countless nights crying, desperately searching for an outlet for her emotions.
And so, her connection with stand-up comedy quietly began to unfold.
Eager to prove herself, Tuanzi began frantically filling her schedule with activities, trying to convey to the world that “I’m doing great, even without a relationship.”
During a summary meeting at her new internship, she had a sudden inspiration and decided to turn the dull report into a lively stand-up routine.
This was also Tuanzi’s first attempt at stand-up comedy.
To her surprise, the response was unexpectedly positive. Many of her fellow interns, as well as her supervising teachers, remembered Tuanzi because of it. This recognition wasn’t just about complimenting her performance; it fostered connections they’ve maintained. It was the first time Tuanzi realized she might actually have a bit of a comedic gene. Previously, people had only said, “You Northeasterners are really funny,” but this time, many were genuinely laughing at her words.
This feeling was unprecedented; stand-up comedy offered the simplest joy. The audience’s likes and dislikes could be conveyed immediately, which felt much more reliable than romantic relationships.
From that moment on, Tuanzi began to slowly embrace stand-up comedy.
Not only did Tuanzi become a dedicated audience member at various cities’ open mics, but she also started getting on stage to try her hand at comedy and joined a local stand-up comedy collective in Changchun. Besides comedy, she explored a variety of new activities: diving, skiing, surfing, motorcycling, paragliding… Her other hobbies were all extreme and dynamic, as she constantly labeled herself in an effort to prove that she wasn’t that bad. The cool photos and videos she shared seemed to effortlessly bridge social distances, helping to fill the void left by her failed romance.
It wasn’t until she encountered stand-up comedy that she found herself in a state of calm. Only through comedy did she discover her true self amid the chaos.
“I don’t need to showcase anything anymore; I just need to speak. Doing stand-up comedy makes me feel like I am truly myself.”
From initially just “roasting men” to gradually incorporating nuanced observations about life, more and more audience members began to recognize and appreciate Tuanzi. She even gained her own “fan club” during that time.
It seems that the misunderstandings about the expressor were not as exaggerated as imagined; instead, there was more understanding, comfort, empathy, and a great deal of acceptance from the audience.
“I think stand-up comedy is a way for me to heal.”
“I finally realized that I am also worthy of affirmation.”
Later, Tuanzi came to Sydney for her studies and discovered that there wasn’t a well-known, ongoing local stand-up comedy brand. The idea of organizing an open mic began to swirl in her mind.
“The original intention of establishing On The Road was actually very simple: to find a group of like-minded friends to do what we love together.
Whether it’s stand-up comedy, improv, or manzai, continuous creation allows us to infuse our lives with soul.
We aim to create the purest, most enjoyable local brand, providing Sydney residents with the most authentic stand-up comedy stage.”
“And then I was really lucky to meet them.”
“The first person to contact me was Yiguo. Born in 2005, his youth truly shocked me.”
“On the phone, I felt that this little girl was very polite, calling me ‘sister’ over and over during our conversation.”
“I really miss the time when we first met; everyone was still a bit reserved and sincere.”
“Unlike now, when everyone shows their true colors, casually throwing around phrases like ‘this joke is average.'”
(When we first met)
（Now）
“We let Yiguo manage our Xiaohongshu account, but since we were all running it together, this kid is quite funny—sometimes he accidentally switches accounts for personal use.”
“(Who uses the official account to book eyelash extensions?!!)”
“Next was Lao Zhang. At that time, I thought this guy was quite abstract.”
“He’s clearly from Shanghai, yet speaks with a Beijing accent; he doesn’t even have the surname Zhang, but we still call him Lao Zhang.”
“But Lao Zhang is very experienced; he studied crosstalk and even attempted to get into acting (though he didn’t make it). In any case, I felt he was definitely talented, so I thought, let’s bring him on board.”
“At first, it seemed Lao Zhang encountered a bit of a creative block and needed some encouragement to write. He would secretly send me his work to review, not daring to share it in the group.”
“But he ended up surprising everyone by blowing the roof off during the script reading session!
Then there’s Diu Diu. When chatting with her, I felt she could always provide great emotional value. No matter what I said, her response was always ‘That’s great!’
Moreover, she’s a very experienced social media professional who has written viral WeChat articles and produced viral videos.
So at that time, I had only one thought: ‘I could bring this girl on board to do marketing’ (Now that goal has been achieved, these words are actually typed by Sister Diu).”
“(Diu Diu on the left, Tuanzi on the right)”
“(Diu Diu on the left, Tuanzi on the right)”
(Such a dedicated customer service rep, who else could compare!!)
Then there was M.C. To be honest, when I saw this name and heard his voice, I thought he was just an ordinary, unremarkable Beijing man.
Looking at his profile picture and WeChat Moments, I didn’t really imagine what he might look like. I assumed he was a homebody (I don’t mean that being a homebody is bad).
I never expected that he would be so handsome in person!
(It seems M.C. discriminated against people from Northeast China when they first met!!)
（熟悉了之后）
M.C. has now become our trademark, with his main task being to attract customers… no, I mean to attract female viewers.
Of course, there’s also Meng Zai who emerged from the audience. This guy is truly off the charts, but I won’t go into details here. You’ll understand when you see him.
When chatting with him, you need to be constantly aware of your face, because if you’re not careful, your facial muscles might freeze from laughing too much. Every sentence is a meme (although they might all be lame memes). When he first added me on WeChat, he called and chatted with me for half an hour, but in the end, he couldn’t remember my name.
Finally, he warmly told me that if I needed any help in Australia, I could always turn to him. Us Northeasterners should help each other out.
His strength: he speaks his mind about everything. His weakness: he knows nothing about anything.
We also have the adorable little sister Lola, the shy Jerry, the newly-minted Sydney University internet celebrity Professor Shang Ce, and many others.
During our script reading sessions, everyone is in high spirits. You think we’re seriously revising the script? Well, yes, but only intermittently. The rest of the time, we’re collectively losing our minds.
I’m truly grateful to have met this group of friends. Each one of them is indispensable.
Without them, there wouldn’t be the “On The Road” we have today.
【On The Road】
Who are we?
『Tuanzi』
“Team leader, comedic cornerstone.”
Describing Tuanzi as a straightforward and upright girl from Northeast China couldn’t be more fitting.
As the core of our small team and the top dog of “On The Road,” she often builds skyscrapers on flat scripts, yet doesn’t put on any airs at all.
Sometimes you want to say, “Why don’t you act a bit more important? Can you be a little more assertive?”
Her overly frank and honest personality might make one worry if there could be management issues in this team.
But as Northeasterners often say, “Let’s see how it goes when it comes to real business.”
She always manages to use her rich stage experience and decisive judgment to personally feed this “reassurance pill” into the heart of each of our performers.
『Diu Diu』
“Full sugar, no ice.”
Her natural affinity makes everyone respectfully call her “Sister Thulium.”
If “sugar” outlines Thulium’s daily life – the pearl milk tea she can’t do without, the girly dresses full of youthful charm, and even her cute cat at home named “Rock Sugar” –
Then “sweetness” is the interpretation of her personality.
In front of Sister Thulium, you’ll never feel uncomfortable. She always expresses her views in the gentlest way, listens with the most sincere attitude, and accompanies you with the most cheerful laughter.
Moreover, she seems to have transformed all the sugar into energy. As an actress, she can also juggle multiple roles, operating three phones simultaneously. Whether it’s customer service, content operations, or even matchmaking for team members, she handles it all with ease.
The key is, she eats sugar without gaining weight. Isn’t that infuriating?
『Yiguo』
“A cute 19-year-old girl born after 2005.”
As an introvert, when first meeting her, she’s like a quiet kitten, silently observing from the corner. But don’t get too familiar!
Once you get to know her, you’ll discover her witty remarks and innate sense of humor, delivering punchlines as effortlessly as a rapper.
In our creative team, mostly comprised of those born after 1995, she has to learn to be “backward compatible.” So her sarcastic comments towards us are the norm, and occasionally she even “reverses the polarity.”
“Okay” is her highest praise for us “oldies.”
But just like her excellent rapport with the audience on stage, although we “oldies” are often left speechless by her quips, we can’t help but laugh heartily. When arguing with her, we can’t help but concede to her youth.
At 19, when faced with a blossoming flower, who wouldn’t want to be more than just a green leaf?
『Lola』
“An extrovert who seems the most like an introvert.”
Lola gives us all the impression of being quiet and shy, but she seems to have a certain obsession with being an extrovert.
When she first introduced herself as an extrovert, no one believed her.
Later, she had to show us her MBTI test results, and still, no one believed her.
If you put Lola and the only introvert among us in the same pot, you’d think these are the two biggest jokes in our “On The Road” group. Because just the volume of their speech alone is a dead giveaway.
We tried to persuade Lola, saying either you prepared for the test in advance, or the MBTI test made a mistake.
In any case, only when you’re tested as an introvert will MBTI regain its authority in our hearts. Lola, give up the struggle!
『M.C』
“190cm tall handsome male model right here.”
“Every girl who meets M.C for the first time is captivated by his good looks. We’ve heard the same exclamation at least ten times: ‘Wow, that guy is so handsome!’ As a ‘genuine’ Beijinger, despite speaking authentic Beijing dialect, he doesn’t have any of that typical Beijing swagger. Chatting with M.C is always like a breath of fresh air, and people are always touched by his cheerfulness and sunny disposition. Don’t think M.C is just a pretty face; he’s got some serious credentials! His intricate connections with the comedy circle have also ‘inherited’ him an innate talent for comedy. Stand-up comedy, manzai, sketch… M.C is trying various forms of comedy. So, ladies, are you drooling… I mean, looking forward to seeing him?”
『Old Zhang』
“Old Zhang’s not named Zhang, and speaks Beijing dialect in Shanghai.”
Introducing Old Zhang to a stranger might be the hardest thing in the world.
If you must introduce him, you’d probably think he has 13 different personalities inside him.
But amazingly, he manages to balance traits from all corners of the country, harmonizing various characteristics within himself.
If we had to describe Old Zhang in one sentence, it would be:
“He’s the one among us who can make ordinary things sound the most interesting.”
『Meng Zai』
“Meng Zai’s not so cute, a pear tree entwined with ivy.”
“If we’re talking about first impressions of Meng Zai, it’s hard to connect him with the words ‘cute’ and ‘kid’. Yet, ironically, he chose this name that defies expectations. That’s actually quite adorable, haha!
Speaking of his relationship with stand-up comedy, saying ‘a pear tree overwhelming a crabapple’ might be too harsh. But ‘an evergreen pear tree entwined with ivy’ might be more fitting.
Meng Zai’s humor is like ivy, always surrounding him and clinging to us.
His wit is quick, his words are raw, his jokes a mix of clean and dirty – all leaving the audience weak-kneed. As long as Meng Zai is around, he won’t rest until everyone’s laughing so hard their stomachs hurt and they’ve developed six-pack abs.”
『Jerry』
“Hear the thunderclap in silence.”
Jerry was the last one to pay protection money (oh, I mean, the last to join) in our little gang. Anyway, dear audience, interpret as you will.
But his very first script reading left all the other performers shaken. “Is this really his first time?”
His seasoned joke delivery and skilled performance made him a veteran right from the start.
Either he’s “born with a gift, a natural talent for martial arts,” or he must have stumbled upon a secret martial arts manual somewhere, boldly titled “The Sun
“He has mastered the art of hitting pressure points (delivering punchlines) and manipulating the universe (performing), but one wonders if he followed the first instruction in the manual: ‘To practice this skill, one must first…’ Well, did he obey the master’s command?”
More stand-up comedy reserve cast
Shang Ce
Mr.Sun
TO BE CONTINUED…
Of course, we also welcome all of you who, like us, want to express yourselves on stage and add a bit of joyful energy to your mundane life!
No matter how unusual your persona or how abstract your story may be, your sense of humor can be heard and seen by everyone here.
Come join us
and have fun with comedy
together with On The Road!
Copywriting & Editing: Diu Diu
Character Introduction: M.C