Ashley James has been on a lot of dates in Hong Kong, and not all of them went well. In his new hour, Am I a Bad Date?, he’s telling the worst of them, then letting the audience decide if the problem was him. He’s doing it at TakeOut Comedy on Saturday, 21 November.
If you’ve been to comedy shows here in the last few years, you’ve probably seen Ashley. He grew up in London and came to Hong Kong to get away from office life, only to end up in another office, this time with a nicer view. He won the 2025 Hong Kong Comedy Competition. He’s opened for some of the city’s biggest shows, including Vivek Mahbubani’s at Ocean Park, and he sold out his last two headline hours, I Am Trash and The Great Trashley. A lot of people also know him from the Chaotic Hong Kong Expats memes, even if he’d rather be known for his stand-up.
London vs Hong Kong
He’s dated in both cities, and he says it’s a different game.
“Dating in London is very different because everyone is looking to settle down and have the big house with kids,” he says. “People in Hong Kong are dating to get out of the house and away from their parents.”
If you’ve lived with your parents here at 30, you know he has a point.
You’re in the show too
About half the show is crowdwork, and it’s not just the front row he goes after. “Everyone is involved, front to back row,” he says. There are two games, and one of them is just for couples.
So bring your worst dating story, and be ready to tell it.
Who’s the show for? Ashley isn’t picky. “I don’t care, as long as they buy tickets,” he says. With one exception: “If you dated me, please submit the reviews before the show.”
Show details
- Show: Am I a Bad Date? ft Ashley James
- When: Saturday, 21 November 2026, 8pm to 10pm
- Where: TakeOut Comedy, 34 Elgin Street, Central
- Tickets: Get tickets on Eventbee