If you reviewed your own show, how would you describe it?
I would say wow he covered a wide range of nouns. I didn’t think there’d be stuff about the small spoon people use for ice cream samples.
Tell me a little more about your show and what audiences can expect?
They can expect me to go through every possible emotion. Except maybe avarice, I don’t like that one. Some jokes I try to make them bulletproof, but some are purposefully designed so that the audience needs to do some work.
Where do you draw inspiration from for your work, both in terms of creation and performance?
I like the musician Playboi Carti. The way he bends his voice is very interesting. He came up with this word “fwaeh”. And that to me is freedom of speech. I try to be as free as him
Looking at this production, how would you say it links to previous work personally and thematically?
Both of my hours are kind of about nostalgia, I imagine I would look back and say wow I was really looking back. But this one I dig a little deeper.
Why is this an important story to tell?
Why is the Portobello an important mushroom? It probably is to some species and not so much to others. I imagine a starfish wouldn’t bother with them. But maybe for a specific type of ant it’s their whole world.
What would you like audiences to take away from seeing you at the Fringe?
I hope audiences will see buses differently. This will make more sense if you watch the show.
Do you tend to take inspiration from events happening in the world around you in terms of your work? Do you think artists have a responsibility to respond to what’s happening?
I think so, I reference the rising sea levels, but we don’t know if that’s real.
What do you do to relax in August?
I like looking at pet owners. They think they have a familiar. I find that amusing
How do you feel about the current arts landscape in your country and your part in it? Does it excite you and inspire you to keep pushing the boat out?
My favourite Singaporean artist is Iris Li, she’s an incredible actor. I’ve seen her do shapes and characters that are not from this world. She inspires me to keep being Singaporean.
What’s next for you and how are you feeling about the future in general?
I’m going to be in a comedy movie directed by Judd Apatow that comes out February next year. That sentence is true. It sounds like I’m saying it to manifest but we have in fact shot the footage. There is still opportunity to cut me entirely but that will do irreparable damage to the plot. But we never know what these Hollywood freaks are into.
Li Jin Hao: Falling From a Moon, Pleasance, 5-30 Aug, 8pm