Australian Conversation: Michael Shafar, Comedian and Writer at The Project

Following a sellout 2019 season, comedian Michael Shafar returns to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2020 with a brand-new show.

Building on the success of his previously sold out shows Jewish-ish, Kosher Bacon and 2019’s critically acclaimed 50/50, which chronicled his diagnosis with testicular cancer, Michael is back to tell you why everything is Getting Better.

Surviving cancer and sharing that experience on stage in 50/50 really changed Shafar’s philosophy on comedy. We chat to him a little more about that…

What it is about comedy that you love?

I just love thinking of something funny and sharing it with a group of strangers to see if they agree it’s funny. A lot of the times we agree to disagree.

Tell us about your new MICF show.

It’s about how my life is Getting Better! Last year my show was about my experience being diagnosed with late-stage testicular cancer, but now I’m in remission and things are great. The show is mostly about my mother, my girlfriend and bagels.

What inspired you to write comedy shows about your battle with testicular cancer?

I wanted to keep doing stand up while I was going through cancer, and I had nothing else in my life to draw upon for comedy, so I just had to find the funny things in the experience. I wouldn’t say I was ‘inspired’ to do comedy about it, I kind of just had nothing else to talk about because cancer is so all-consuming.

Tell us how your experiences have shaped who you are.

I’m certainly a lot more grateful just to be healthy and able to perform because for there was a period there where I didn’t know if I’d even be alive today. Comedians always start off by saying ‘it’s good to be here’ but I really mean it.

Having said that, I still get annoyed by little things. I got a parking fine the other day and I was ropable.

Where are your favourite places in Australia to travel to, eat at and enjoy?

My girlfriend and I love going to Margaret River, it’s literally our favourite part of the country. I do shows in Perth every year, and it’s mostly just as an excuse to justify going down to Margs for a week and chilling on the beach with no one around.

What does being Australian mean to you?

I’m not really nationalistic or anything like that. My grandparents are all refugees from WWII, so for me Australia has always been a place that offers migrants new lives and the opportunity to basically start over.

For info and tickets to Michael’s MICF show Getting Better, please click here.