This classic a-nyeint group became world famous in the 1990s when their jokes and rants against the Myanmar government brought them a string of prison sentences and a name-check in the Hugh Grant flick About a Boy. The show, long since performed entirely in English, is an odd mix of vaudeville, Burmese theatre and political satire, and remains a classic Mandalay night out.
It takes a series of classical Burmese dance snippets and weaves them together with endless quips from irrepressible Lu Maw, whose sheer delight in pronouncing English colloquialisms is often funnier than the jokes he tells. His word-boards add comic effect while helping listeners to decipher his thick accent. There's plenty of slightly indulgent self-promotion and many love-hate gags involving Lu Maw's wife – cover star of a 1990s Lonely Planet Myanmar (Birmania) guide (Italian edition). A few 'KGB' and corruption jokes still pepper the light-hearted wisecracking.
The space is small, but even so, there are nights, especially in the low season, when you might be the only people in attendance.
