How is it that in the year 2022 people still don’t know the proper etiquette for attending a stand-up comedy show? Is it really that hard? Laugh, clap or cheer when the comedian says something you enjoy. Interact with the comedian if they start chatting with you. And most importantly, try to be respectful of them as the stage is their place of work. I’ve seen drunk people kicked out of shows and hecklers trying to be funnier than the performers they’ve come to see, but never in my life have I witnessed someone bring their 3-year-old to an adult stand-up comedy show. Not only that, they decided the best place for their child would be to sit right in the middle of the second row. And so, as Michael Shafar was trying to perform, Mr. 3 happily played with his toys, chatted to no one in particular, and happily walked around the seats. And if you think that was the only problem on the night, you’d be wrong! I watched Michael Shafar perform a five-star stand-up show at the Rhino Room last year to a packed and appreciative crowd. His edgy humour sometimes crossed the line but was told in such a funny way that you just couldn’t help but enjoy it. Having returned to Adelaide for the Fringe, the aforementioned 3-year-old being in the crowd probably wasn’t the best start to Shafar’s gig, and from there it just got worse. For some reason there was a circus performance next door, so trying to hear what Shafar was saying wasn’t the easiest of tasks. On top of that, the computer he was using for some of his gags also crashed, which didn’t exactly help the flow of the show either. And don’t get me wrong, some of his material was laugh-out-loud funny stuff. From being mistaken for an illegal arms dealer to Anthony Albanese shortening his name (as Scomo does), Shafar was great when given the chance to perform uninterrupted. But with distractions and problems aplenty it was in the final 15 minutes of his performance that Shafar had seemed to have had enough, calling the audience cheapskates for attending his show on a Wednesday night. There is a thin line between a joke being funny and missing the mark, and on this occasion, it missed. This may not have been Shafar’s best performance but a lot of it was completely out of his control. So please folks, don’t bring your toddlers to an adult comedy show, and Gluttony, maybe don’t place comedians near loud, brash circus acts that crash stand-ups punchlines, and comedians, the Adelaide bashing has been done to death, so if you want a laugh you won’t find it here. Let’s just put this down to an off night all around! THREE STARS ***