Shay Mace
Singaporean-born, Australia-based comedian Ting Lim is making her Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut in Asian, But Wrong next month. The hour looks to unpack growing up in an unorthodox family and what happens when you don’t fit anywhere. Caught between strict Singaporean rules, Malaysian chaos and Australian life, Ting aims to navigate relationships, expectations and the quiet absurdity of never quite belonging. We caught up with Ting for a pixelated pint to find out more about the show and her journey to Edinburgh.
You can catch Asian, But Wrong at The Wee Room at Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters on August 6th – 16th and then again at Slice 2 at Hoots @ Hilton (Bread Street) from August 17th – 30th. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Shay: Hi Ting, your upcoming EdFringe show has quite the evocative title – tell us about what’s inspired it, and why you’ve decided to bring it to the EdFringe stage.
Ting: Growing up in an Asian household, the need to succeed was drilled into me from day one. And I mean day one literally – babies are considered one year old at birth. That is how early the pressure starts. The title came from my failure to meet those expectations and the slow realisation that I might not even want to meet them in the first place. I play Debbie Lim in the Australian comedy series Fisk, which introduced me to audiences across Australia — but Asian, But Wrong is where I finally get to tell my own story as Ting Lim. As for why Edinburgh, it is the biggest comedy festival in the world and I never had the money to do it until now. So here I am. Wasting it beautifully.
Shay: How has the creative process been of putting the show together? Give us an idea of the journey you’ve been on with it so far.
Ting: Rewarding and exhausting in equal measure. The rewarding part was getting the material to a place where it genuinely represented my sense of humour and my story, what it means to exist between cultures and versions of yourself. The exhausting part has been finding the balance between sharing my cultural experience and not over-explaining it to the point where I am treating the audience like they have never left their postcode. It is a fine line.
Shay: What will be the first thing the audience sees, feels, and hears as they enter the space?
Ting: I want them to get a sense of me and what growing up in Singapore in the 90s felt like – the expectations, the atmosphere, the particular weight of being raised on the promise that if you do everything right, happiness will eventually follow. It is a promise I discovered was far less reliable than advertised. And then I want them to find a seat quickly because we have a lot to get through and I am not waiting.
Shay: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Ting: I hope they leave with an understanding that not everything has to work out according to plan, and that is actually fine.
Shay: What journey has the show been on to find itself at EdFringe 2026?
Ting: A lot of administrative work, last minute bids for cheap airfares, and a great deal of reaching out to other comedians for advice. Instead of Eat, Pray, Love — this has been Send, Ask and Debt. It is less cinematic but equally life changing. I have developed and sharpened the show in Australia over the past year, and Edinburgh feels like the natural next step. It is the biggest art festival in the world and the place where you find out whether your story lands beyond the audience that already knows your cultural references.
Shay: With EdFringe now just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
Ting: Everything. I have never been to Edinburgh. This is my first time in Europe. I am genuinely just excited to be there – to perform, to see other shows, to meet other artists and to experience the Fringe for what it is. Either way, this is going in the memoir.
Shay: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Ting: Teh Tarik – an iconic Singaporean drink made from black tea and condensed milk, aerated between two tall mugs until it is frothy. It is a little sweet, unexpectedly creamy, and slightly bitter at the end. Which honestly describes both my show and my personality. You come in thinking it is going to be warm and comforting, and it is, but there is a kick you don’t see coming. Much like growing up between two cultures and realising the roadmap you were handed was missing several very important pages.
A reminder, you can catch Asian, But Wrong at The Wee Room at Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters on August 6th – 16th and then again at Slice 2 at Hoots @ Hilton (Bread Street) from August 17th – 30th. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
