Melbourne Comedy’s Rising Stars

Another Saturday night, another cool Melbourne event to check out. And this time, I’m returning to my now-familiar haven of Grandma’s antiquities, The Butterfly Club in Carson Place in Melbourne’s CBD. Tonight, having prepped myself with Espresso Martinis and banter with a witty friend, we venture into the depths of The Butterfly Club to check out some home-grown humour in a show entitled ‘Melbourne Comedy’s Rising Stars’.

After my chat last week with creator and MC Michael Shafar, I am keen to check out the fruits of his labour in his latest offering of comedic showmanship. After selling out previous shows of similar nature, Michael has mentioned that this show, Rising Stars, is nearing sell-out too, but generously offers to put two tickets aside. We are once again greeted at the front desk by Brendan Fraser’s doppelgänger, who is as lively as ever and heightens the enthusiasm for the show ahead. Once upstairs, we are instantly taken aback by the number of people crowded into the bar. Never have I seen so many people at The Butterfly Club. This line-up clearly has some fans.

Extra seats have been added into the small space, and it’s chockers. The vibe is electric, and the crowd is clearly keenly anticipating the show to come. When the lights dim, the crowd erupts into jovial noise, and MC Shafar makes his presence known. Michael seemingly fills the entire stage just in height and charisma, and is instantly relaxed, warm and receptive to the crowd. His easy flow of banter and light-hearted stories ease the audience into the show to come, and the comedy is relatable, smart and entertaining. Michael appears so comfortable on stage that one can’t help but wonder what drove him to study Law and not acting in the first instance. Clearly he is making a name for himself on Melbourne’s comedy circuit, and doing it incredibly well.

The first act for the night is Jay Morrissey, who is the polar opposite of Shafar in every way. He breaks the ice with the opening line, “I think it would be better to have a gay dad”, and the tone is set for the evening. His awkward manner is instantaneously loveable, and the audience is at once laughing wholeheartedly at his take on Father-Son relationships.

Laid-back comedy comes in buckets from Tim Hewitt and Sam Taunton, who along with Shafar have performed multiple sold-out shows together previously. Short sets are interspersed with quick  anecdotes from MC Michel, and the show flows easily. There are a multitude of different comedic styles, with more loveable awkwardness from Danielle Walker, Jess Perkins  and Sonia Di Iorio, and dead-pan one-liners from Rohan Ganju. Shafar wraps up Rohan’s set by remarking the show is fortunate enough to feature “a Jew, and a Ganju”. It’s quick-witted and representative of the style of all the comedians performing.

David ‘Sexy Beast’ Rose rounds out the cast with entertaining stories from his life struggle of being so skinny, and it’s refreshing to have a male comedian make light of body image issues. Rose, along with Shafar, will be performing at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in a show called ‘Outsiders’ from September 26 – October 3. The comedy from both these emerging stars will surely be a highlight of the festival.

Melbourne Comedy’s Rising Stars is so aptly named it’s blinding. These comedians appear so comfortable and in their element on the stage, and the intimate space for the performance provided the perfect setting to let their talents loose. Keep your eyes peeled for these names at future events and festivals – collectively their stars are well and truly on the rise in Melbourne’s comedy scene.