Michael Shafar – The Return of Shafar | Adelaide Fringe 2022 review

Satirical, dark, clever – Michael Shafar’s edgy comedy, when it lands, lands hard.

Michael Shafar - The Return of Shafar.

Michael Shafar – The Return of Shafar

Comedy

Rating: *** 1/2

The Piglet (open-air) at Gluttony and The Attic at Murray Bridge Performing Arts & Function Centre

Until March 6

Michael Shafar had the odds stacked against him tonight. But for someone battling technical problems, a three-year-old heckler and the odd wildlife distraction, he gave one hell of an impressive set of satirical, delightfully dark and cleverly-written material.

It’s set in one of Gluttony’s open-air venues, which – while pleasant – doesn’t make things particularly easy for a comedian with some edgy political gags that require full attention.

While the lacklustre Wednesday night crowd certainly didn’t help, it was the increasing awareness of how a rattled Shafar was measuring each punchline when it dropped that became his undoing.

Had he not continuously pointed out the gentle response, he probably would have won us back. It never felt like he was bombing, until he made it seem like he was.

Odd energy aside, I couldn’t help but feel the lockdown and anti-vax material, while witty, was a little on the tired side.

That said, when it landed, it landed hard, and a ripper of closing gag only emphasised his talent as a writer. It just wasn’t his night.