After testing the waters at the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival with a series of spots and opening acts, Singaporean comic Jacky Ng is back! This time, with his very own show titled ‘Boys School Boy’. Performed at Brewmanity in South Melbourne, Jacky’s 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival solo debut went off with a bang.
It was exciting to see Jacky Ng in an entertaining and enjoyable exploration through his funny lived experiences. Although Jacky did appear to have some first show jitters, he recovered well, jumping right back into his comedic rhythm.
Jacky Ng’s comedy style is a mixture of classic stand up and observational comedy. Turning what would otherwise be mundane conversations into a hilarious series of stories, Jacky Ng tells of his time at an all-boys school bullying teachers, as a reservist in the Singaporean Armed Forces, of his father’s work as a Police Officer, and Jacky’s own brushes with the law with hilarious results. Jacky also shared about staying here in Melbourne and how he randomly found himself living with a 60-year-old stranger.
However, my favourite story of Boys School Boy was of his relationship with his girlfriend, his inner thoughts and proving that Jacky is a bad ass in his own right.
Jacky can work a crowd well, easily finding some fellow Singaporeans in the audience that also attended an all-boys school. But what surprised me the most was his uncanny ability to lean into what was happening right now.
The Melbourne Brewmanity venue was setup at a bar at the rear of the ground level. With only a curtain separating the busy lift lobby and the seated venue where Jacky was performing, at times the noise of patrons in the lobby swelled to a point where it became a distraction. Jacky, equipped with his microphone in hand, jumped at the opportunity to call them out. Requesting that they be quiet as there was a show going on, the moment was unexpected and funny. But when it quickly happened a second time, Jacky really leaned into it, telling the noisy folks to again be quiet, exclaiming how it was his first ever solo show and he wanted it to go well.
Eventually, he stepped down off the stage, pulled back the curtain, and told them to basically shut up. Igniting laughter amongst his audience from the whole scenario, it’s thanks to Jacky’s quick wit and ability to take control of a situation that made all of this hilarious and impressive. Honestly, I believe Jacky could handle anything thrown at him.
Jacky Ng thoroughly impressed his attentive Melbourne audience during Boy School Boy with his lively and fun storytelling. Exuding all the confidence of an experienced comic, if he didn’t call out that it was his solo debut in Melbourne, I admittedly wouldn’t have known any different. If this is what Jacky Ng brings to the table in his first Melbourne solo show debut, I have no doubt that he’s only going to get better. I cannot wait to see what this hilarious, smart and promising Singaporean comedian brings to the festival next year!
Jacky Ng performed Boys School Boy at the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival at Brewmanity on the 17th and 18th of April. With only a two-show run that has since concluded, there are unfortunately no more dates for Jacky Ng in Melbourne this year. I, for one, will be keeping a look out for his return in 2026.
For more information, visit:
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/jacky-ng-boys-school-boy
https://www.jacky.sg
https://www.instagram.com/jackyngcomedy
Photography supplied.