HONG KONG residents are just like bottles of champagne, argues Sadie Kaye Cottam, and what they need is a good excuse to ''pop and release all the bubbles compressed inside''.
''In a city where breathing is a bio-hazard, comedy should be compulsory as a way of dealing with everyday strain and tension - it's releasing, doesn't depend on drugs or alcohol and a hell of a lot cheaper than a nervous breakdown,'' said Cottam, who is a dynamo of energy and, at just 22, a rapidly maturing talent.
She chose bustling Hong Kong as her stage over recession hit England after studying at Cambridge University and getting a taste for the spotlight in the renowned Footlights review.
Since her arrival, she has been honing her comic craft through TVB's children's programme, Beezwacks, and has already assembled an impressive list of Fringe Club appearances, including her sell-out, one-woman show, Faces.
When the Fringe was approached to nominate a Hong Kong representative for the Vancouver International Comedy Festival, it was Cottam who came to mind. And so, she will be Canada bound after securing some much-needed sponsorship.
The 11-day Vancouver festival, which begins at the end of July, is the most important event of the year for aspiring comic stars, attracting a crowd of 50,000 and a vast television audience.