Written By: Therese Chen
Echo 8, while being an action thriller, also had moments of comedy and lightheartedness. Those who enjoyed those moments will be happy to know that much of that will be present if not more so in the sequel.
Writers, like most other creatives, are drawn to particular themes and genres. As for myself, I love comedy. I also believe that comedy is not easy to do, particularly in the case of stand-up.
As it happened, I had the opportunity to watch comedian Umit Bali with Echo 8 Trilogy writer Elizabeth H. Vu and Serena Hunt, a long-time friend and supporter of Maria Tran (who herself was busy organizing Echo 8 Trilogy-related meetings for the night).
Umit Bali’s credits include Fat Pizza, Housos, and Australia's Got Talent. His show, titled “Capre Dumb Dumb!," was both an intimate and hilarious experience of him retelling his life as an Indian growing up in Fiji, as well as his later life in Australia.
Umit brings a natural charm to his storytelling, and through his talent, he was able to hook the audience onto every word.
In a world where news and social media often focus on the negative and the heartbreaking, it was a wonderful experience to see how, despite all of that, comedy can be found even in the most difficult of circumstances. In the case of Umit, his family’s struggles to obtain a visa to stay in Australia were one of those circumstances.
It was also a reminder for me that sometimes the best thing you can do is show up despite not being perfect. Understandably, in the case of stand-up where it is just you under the spotlight, it can be very nerve-wracking, and lines can be forgotten. For Umit, instead of trying to hide this, he embraced it, and the audience loved him more for it.
So let that be a nice reminder not only to support comedians but also not to be afraid to try something new, because life is too short to be left wondering 'what if.'