Nick Capper shares health message in Fringe stand up show

Nick Capper, who is in SA this week for his stand-up show at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Hold Me Closer Tiny Cancer, has become an incidental health advocate since his own diagnosis with testicular cancer about 1.5 years ago.

But during lockdown in Melbourne, he began noticing something wasn't quite right.

"My only symptom was that I felt a little sensitivity, and for the first time ever, I went to a doctor voluntarily," he said.

"They said it was probably not cancer, but as I was in the age group, I got scanned anyway.

"It turned out it was testicular cancer."

Nick had his testicle removed and "thought it was all good" but about a year it "started to flare up again".

This time, he required three to four months of chemotherapy.

Nick said he initially did not want to talk about his diagnosis at all.

"I didn't think it was going to be a big deal," he said.

"I thought a lot of people had it worse - testicular cancer can be the best of a bad lot."

But he mentioned it on a podcast he hosts with Mike Goldstein - Phone Hacks - also getting on fellow comedian Michael Shafer, who was also diagnosed with testicular cancer.

"The response was amazing!" Nick said.

He said his partner encouraged him to talk about it even more.

"There's a lot of funny stuff that happens when you get a testicle removed, so I started with that," he said.

"But it's not about that, just spreading awareness.

"Getting a testicle removed wasn't that big a deal but chemotherapy - that was a big deal.

"So whatever I can do to prevent people froing through that... men and women, if there is the slightest lump, just get it checked!"

Nick said he has been contacted by three people since then, who have told him they got themselves tested after hearing his story - with one also having cancer and two having other issues that could have developed into something worse.

A family scare with skin cancer has also put that on his radar as well.

"Especially blokes in the country can be tough guys, but just go and see a doctor and get it scanned," he said.

He said writing his latest show had been difficult.

"Chemotherapy was difficult to revisit - I had journalised it all and it was a bit traumatic to go back because you do erase it from your memory," he said.

He has already performed his show at the Perth Fringe World Festival last month.

"I usually do crazy shows and don't want anyone to leave from my shows having learned anything, there is no moral," he said.

"But I've tried to make (this show) as unique as possible.

"There are some serious parts, and I would have taken them out if people said they didn't want it but people came up afterwards and said they liked the serious parts, which is a learning curve to me, but I think it makes it more authentic."

Nick, who grew up on a massive broadacre cropping and cotton farm at Boomi on the NSW/Qld border, near Goondiwindi, first began considering comedy while he was travelling through England and Europe.

He had always been a fan of comedy - he credits Dave Chappelle and The Mighty Boosh among his inspiration - it was a travelling companion that got his to regularly attend stand-up.

On his return to Australia, he was living in Sydney and decided to try it out - initially to make contacts more a potential career in film or television.

"I tried standup to meet people and didn't even think it was a career," he said.

"My first two gigs went well but the third bombed so I was going to quit."

He was talked into giving it a second chance and said it was a good way to just get out of the house and do something in the evening.

Agriculture did not feature in his act until he moved to Melbourne.

"I didn't really talk about ag, or growing up in the country for the first six or seven years," he said.

"When I went to Melbourne, people were really interested and amazed by stuff like B&S Balls or that only 25 kids went to my public school, or that I was picking cotton and driving cars from the age of 12.

"Floods and mud, people were interested and it was a good angle."

While his act has included sharing his opinion on which tractor is best - he's a John Deere man - he has not done a full show on agriculture - yet.

"I probably still don't talk about it enough," he said.

"It's almost too interesting to talk about since comedy is about making the mundane funny.

"Country life is so crazy and unbelievable and funny that it is unbelievable.

"There is no skill in telling crazy country stories.

"Most of my friends from the country are funnier than me, I just had the balls to get on stage - or these days, the ball."

READ MORE:

As well as agriculture, Nick's act included stunts like a totally crowd-funded trip to London, taking the long way and wearing a tuxedo the whole way.

Or, on his return, a trip through outback Australia, a follow-up trip where he had to travel from Melbourne to Newcastle, NSW, the "worst way" - also in a tuxedo.

He also co-hosts a Brew Dudes, which compares the influence of craft beer versus "bogan" beer.

Nick said while he is still cautious about his health, he is cancer-free and planning his next steps, including a wedding later this year.

Nick's show Hold Me Closer Tiny Cancer is on at Gluttony this week from Tuesday to Sunday.

He also has shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle later this year.

Subscribers have access to download our free app today from the App Store or Google Play.