John Moorhead on stage at the original comedy club in Hong Kong

Commuting halfway around the world for work might sound like the stuff jokes are made of, but John Moorhead is very serious about providing high quality comic entertainment. The founder of Hong Kong's Punchline Comedy Club, Mr Moorhead now lives in the UK and travels to Hong Kong each month, accompanied by renowned comedians from the UK, Australia, the US and Canada.

The first club of its kind in Asia, Punchline has been entertaining Hong Kong audiences for more than a decade, and proved to be so popular that shows are now regularly organised in Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Vietnam. Mr Moorhead was responsible for bringing the first Western comedian to China.

"The shows are very popular in China, particularly with expatriate audiences," said Mr Moorhead. "Hong Kong people work very hard, but certainly know how to enjoy themselves and have a laugh."

Punchline also provides entertainers for corporate events, and is used regularly by international companies like CLSA and the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. The shows are sponsored by Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Le Meridien Cyberport hotel, Carlsberg and the Financial Times.

An easy place to run a business

UK comedian Pierre Hollins performed in Hong Kong last month
UK comedian Tim Clark is a regular peformer at HK comedy nights

A former presenter for the STAR TV network, Mr Moorhead is familiar with the entertainment industry in Hong Kong and the region. However, living in the UK allows him to establish contacts in the comedy circuit, and to personally vet every comedian first-hand.

"Seeing the acts myself enables me to guarantee the quality of each performance," said Mr Moorhead. "Running a Hong Kong company from the UK is very manageable these days with the help of the Internet. And Hong Kong is an easy place to do business, with low taxes and an international community.

"The Hong Kong entertainment industry has improved enormously in recent years," he added. "It still has some way to go, but many more international acts are putting Hong Kong on their map. We're bringing some big names from the cast of Whose Line is it Anyway, Father Ted and comedian Rory Bremner in the near future."

Mr Moorhead also travelled to Thailand in May for the club's first performance in the holiday resort island of Phuket. It's a tough job entertaining the world, but somebody's got to do it, said Mr Moorhead.

Related link
Hong Kong's Punchline Comedy Club