The Unseen Laugh

Sami Shah suggests that if comedy can make a thief see him as human, maybe it can make Australia see asylum seekers and refugees as human too. He describes how comedy is about more than eliciting laughter, it's about the unseen laugh. What's unseen to some can be glaring to others, as some can see colours where others can't, or racism.

His comedic style shows how comedy is about changing your perspective, to show you things you couldn't see before. Sami won Best Local Act at this year's Perth International Comedy Festival. As a stand-up comedian from Pakistan, he's delivered punchlines from the front lines of the war on terror for several years. He's produced a weekly news satire show and written columns for a newspaper affiliated with the global edition of the New York Times. He tours regularly.