Pete Grella and John Everett first began entertaining audiences together 16 years ago while both were living in Hong Kong. After Everett relocated to Seoul last year, Grella booked a flight to Korea to reunite the duo known as "P" and "J" — the initials from their first names, which together form "PJ," a common shorthand for "pajamas." That coincidence inspired the name of their improvisational comedy show, with the first "Pajama Party!" performance taking place in 2017.

"We settled on Pajama Party! since that sounds fun!" Grella told The Korea Times, noting that the exclamation mark in the title was a deliberate choice to amplify the sense of excitement. "Basically, it's just a silly name that is meant to sound fun and full of energy. And that is what we hope to achieve in our shows ... fun, high energy and maybe a little silly."

Grella added that the pair even wore pajamas during performances for a period of time. "If you look closely at the photos of us wearing those black suits, those were actually a special type of clothes called 'suitjamas' that a comedian friend of mine in Bangkok used to sell," he said.

Pajama Party! has been featured in performances and comedy festivals across Asia, with appearances in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and at improv festivals in Manila, Singapore, and Bangkok. The show's format involves Grella and Everett acting out multiple scenes built from single-word audience suggestions, transforming minimal input into extended comedic scenarios — a long-form improv style popularized by groups such as the Upright Citizens Brigade and taught at theaters worldwide.

The upcoming Korea performance came together after Seoul-based stand-up comedian Steve Gallas traveled to Hong Kong to perform and met Grella, who proposed bringing Pajama Party! to Seoul.

"John and I love performing together, and I haven't performed in Seoul in a while, so I thought this would be a great chance to come back there and perform," Grella said.

Grella's connection to Seoul's improv scene traces back to March 2011, when he participated in the 1st Annual Hong Kong International Improv Festival. Members of Seoul City Improv attended the event and invited Grella's team, People's Liberation Improv, to make a return visit to Seoul for a local improv festival.

"That was the first time that I performed improv in Korea," Grella recalled. "We had a lot of fun and I always wanted to come back and perform."

Beyond improv, Grella is an established stand-up comedian. He won the 2021 Hong Kong Comedy Competition and has performed in cities worldwide. He has also hosted or opened for numerous international comics visiting Hong Kong, including Tom Cotter, Paul Ogata, Tom Segura, Ruben Paul, Barry Hilton, and Ari Shaffir.

This Friday, Grella will perform at Lit Lounge in central Seoul's multicultural Itaewon neighborhood, taking on dual roles as both improviser and stand-up comedian in "Curfew Comedy: A Pajama Party! Double Feature." Itaewon has emerged as a focal point for Seoul's growing English-language comedy scene, with venues like Lit Lounge regularly hosting stand-up nights and open mics that cater to the city's expatriate community and bilingual Korean audiences. The event is hosted by Gallas and also features stand-up comedian Rory Kelly, along with London-based comedian Sang Don Park, who will deliver a homecoming performance. Grella will close the night with his own stand-up set.

Doors at Lit Lounge open at 8 p.m., with the show starting at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are priced at 15,000 won and are available through planethustle.com.

"If anyone wears pajamas to our show, we will give them a hug!" Grella promised.