Entertainment

Rising Star Michael Shafar On Melbourne Comedy

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As well as being a haven for the weirdest collection of knick-knacks on the planet, The Butterfly Club in Melbourne’s CBD is also known for supporting and encouraging shows and performances from the rising stars of Melbourne’s entertainment world.

Local Michael Shafar has decided to capitalise on that support, and when he heard that The Butterfly Club was looking for new shows, decided to get together the most hilarious people he could find. Michael graduated from a Biomedical Science/Law degree at Monash University in 2014, and after many tears from his mother, decided that neither area was his calling and  instead would pursue performing – and thus Melbourne Comedy’s Rising Stars was formed.

On what criteria did you base your line-up?
I choose people for the show who are hilarious. I also want to make sure that there are some different styles of comedians with different perspectives to make it interesting for the audience. We’ve got a comedian who does killer one-liners, other comedians who tell stories and others who do more observational humour. It’s a great mix of talent.

How often do you Google yourself?
I only Google myself when I’m waiting for a review to come out and I want to see if it has been published yet. It’s usually quite terrifying to Google yourself, so I try to avoid it as much as possible.

Well, I Googled you. Did you know you’re actually an American basketball coach?
I am not an American basketball coach. My side job is running my tutoring business for VCE students teaching them English.

I also found a YouTube clip of a cat eating a lollipop with your name on it. Want to own up to it?
I have not seen that video, but I am very intrigued.

Which of the comedians in this show has the oddest pre-show ritual?
I don’t think any of the comedians has an odd pre-show ritual. I tend not to eat before a gig and then I immediately stuff my face as soon as I get offstage. I usually pack food to eat as soon as I’m offstage. I once had a lot of comedians make fun of me for eating a can of tuna backstage after a gig. In my defence, I was hungry and it was a great source of protein.

Have you got a favourite knick-knack in The Butterfly Club?
I don’t have a favourite knick knack there. The whole place is a wonderland.

How do you feel about performing in such a wacky place? And in such an intimate  setting?
I love performing at The Butterfly Club. It’s a small room that seats about 80 people, and when it’s filled, the atmosphere is incredible. My favourite ever gigs have probably been there.

I hear rumours that you like to travel. Where is the roughest place you’ve ever spent the night?
I do like to travel. When I was 18, I stayed in a 27-person male dorm room in London. It was brutal. When I opened the door to walk in, I was almost knocked over by the smell. It was a rough week.

If you weren’t being a comedian or a biomedical scientist, what would you be doing?
I would probably be a professional travel blogger. Those guys just travel around for a living. It sounds like a ridiculous lifestyle.

Describe yourself in 3 words.
Jewish. Funny. Schnitzel.

Favourite movie quote?
“You can’t handle the truth!” I’ve always wanted to work that into a conversation, but I am yet to find the correct moment.

So if you’re in the mood for some funnies delivered by a Jewish, schnitzel-loving, double-degree holding Michael Shafar, as well as a line-up of a bunch of other hilarious emerging comedians, get yourself down to The Butterfly Club on Saturday night. Maybe you can even press Michael about the truth surrounding that YouTube video…

Melbourne Comedy’s Rising Stars
The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Lane, Melbourne
Saturday August 22, 10pm
thebutterflyclub.com/show/melbourne-comedy-s-rising-stars-94a80d14-0c0a-4686-aeb8-e18fdd80c16d


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