Michael Shafar 50/50 @ The Piglet in Gluttony, Adelaide 17/2/2019
What should you do if you have just suffered from testicular cancer and your comedian? Write a show about it of course! Michael Shafar is back with a new show after being diagnosed and he gives us a hilarious insight on how he dealt with it all. Inspired to educate people after his friend asked “Do you have to contact all your sexual partners?” he was on a mission to shower us with laughter on a subject that is …well..not so funny if you really think about it.
The show was an hour of laughs. At times you felt it was natural to laugh and other times it was awkward and in your mind you questioned “should I laugh out loud?” until Shafar told us “its ok to laugh”. He reassured us that laughter is a good way to get through this serious situation.
His comedic take on losing a testical is funny especially when he explains who he has in common with. I mean who wants to claim they have any thing in common with Lance Armstrong or Hitler? Shafar is Jewish so that last comparison is quite ironic.
Taking us through the trials and tribulations he gives us a guide on what parents and friends should not do to help with the process of cancer and help us to avoid embarrassing moments. Some how talking about confronting death should be sombre but Shafar manages to bring light and laughter to the dark topic.
When you talk about your own mortality and the reactions of others to cancer it can either be awkward or funny. This was a funny show. It’s risky talking about cancer otherwise as Shafar says “it can turn into a Ted Talk”. Thankfully its nothing like a Ted Talk.
Fringe Review By Anastasia Lambis
For tickets, show dates and times for Michael Shafar’s “50/50” head to Fringe Tix