KHANT Kyaw, 21, was formerly a Myanmar Computer Company (MCC) programmer who found his way to comedy hoping it would be less harmful to his health. The young comedian has shown no shortage of talent as a comic, performing at many venues and even on TV. Timeout caught up with him last week to discuss how he’s getting on.
Timeout: How important is it to you to be a comedian rather than a computer programmer?
Khant Kyaw: I really like being a comedian. But the reason I originally chose to be a comedian is that as a programmer, I always had to stare at computer screens for so long that it a made me feel really unhealthy and I couldn’t sleep at night. The doctor told me to rest or do something else that I’d enjoy more, because I had started to feel depressed or ill from sitting in front of the computer and thinking too much. It stressed me out. So now I am just working as a comedian, and really enjoy this job.
How long have you been working as a comedian?
After I finished my matriculation exam I was involved in a traditional orchestra as a comedian with my friend, Taing Kyaw. I kept doing this till my first year at university. But when I reached second year, I couldn’t do both so I just focused on my studies. Then my friend asked me if I wanted to compete at a comedy competition “Lu Shwin Daw Shwe Pha Lar,” and I started to slip back into comedy.
Do you have any interests other than comedy and art?
I am interested in all the arts; in acting, singing and song writing, I am interested in it all. I even competed in painting when I was young. But comedy is closer to my heart than other forms. It comes more naturally to me, so I am doing just that now.
How have you learned about comedy?
I do not have any relatives who are celebrities or in show business. I always watched comedy shows when I was young. So my family hardly got to see me during the festival season. And I always read lots of books to be a better comedian but it’s never enough. The first person to help me perform on stage was U Kyaw Moe. After I performed I was more in confident in myself. After that, my fellow comedians U Win Naing and U Ayar also helped me a lot.
Could you ever go back to being a programmer again?
If I can make a living doing this, I’ll never go back to being a programmer. But I will keep informed about computer stuff too, because I am also really interested in computers.
How do you envision your future career?
For the time being, I really don’t want to think that deeply about my life. I am just doing what I want to do because of my health. If I think too hard about something, I am worried that it will stress me out. So I just live my life as happily as possible and try to live to benefit others and myself. In a year or so I think I will be ready to make some decisions about what I want to do.
How do you come up with ideas for your comedy routines?
I always draw heavily from my immediate environment because I don’t have many creative ideas. I watch people’s movements and I think about what I can create for my act and how I can transform it into comedy. And sometimes I combine fresh material with old material to re-imagine them as new acts.
Do you have any particularly memorable moments as a comedian?
Yes, when I was young I was interested in art. But my family was not rich so they did not want me to participate in any art activities. When we had school performances I really wanted to perform so I told my teacher to let me participate. And when my teacher allowed me, I had to ask for alms for clothes because my family couldn’t afford to support me. That was very special for me.
