Saturday Jul 25, 2026
Saturday Jul 25, 2026
Friday, 24 July 2026 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sashi Perera
Sashi Perera, one of Australia’s fastest-rising comedy voices, recognised for her sharp observations on culture, identity, family and belonging, will perform today and tomorrow in Colombo, to enthrall Sri Lankans.
Born in Colombo and now based in Melbourne, Sashi brings a distinctly Sri Lankan perspective to international audiences. Formerly a refugee lawyer, she has since amassed over 60 million online views through her comedy.
Her “Pear Tree” explores a series of “pear-shaped” events spanning Sri Lanka and Australia through stories of migration, race, love, family and home.
The Sri Lankan tour follows multiple sold-out performances across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Europe, reinforcing Sashi’s growing international profile.
Today (24 July) the Pear Tree Matinee performance will be at 4.00 p.m. at the Elphinstone Theatre and Pear Tree Main show at 7.00 p.m. It features opening acts by Lushani Wijayasekara and Dylan J. Prins.
Tomorrow (25 July) “Pear Tree Salon,” will be held at 7.30 p.m. at COCO Bar. It is an event with an “In Conversation” format with Sashi, with complimentary cocktails. Signed copies of her debut memoir “Standstill” are exclusively available to purchase at this event. The official after party will be at 9.30 p.m.
Sashi did two previous sold-out performances, including an appearance at the 2024 Galle Literary Festival.
Pear Tree in Colombo will explore identity, belonging, family legacy and cultural connection through humour. The Sri Lanka tour represents a meaningful homecoming, reconnecting Sashi with the country where her story began.
The performances are organised by Scarlet Cat, a solutions-driven public relations and strategic communications consultancy spearheaded by its Founder, Jessica Fernando.
Tickets for the Colombo show are available via sashiperera.com or scarletcatonline.com
Sashi’s surname – Perera – means pear tree in Portuguese. You won’t believe how mad Portugal gets if you mention why it’s a super common name in Sri Lanka. Pear Tree is a stand-up comedy show about pear-shaped events between Sri Lanka and Australia. It’s about family, love, homes, knives, kids and cats – spliced with a bit of geopolitics and singing. As with her last show Boundaries (now on YouTube), Sashi’s signature observations remain dedicated to taking absolutely nothing too seriously.
After working with refugee organisations as a refugee lawyer around the globe, she moved to Melbourne to do her master’s and fell backwards into comedy. She’s now one of Australia’s fastest rising comedians, known for her sharp wit, unique international tales and bizarre insights
In 2023, she was nominated for Best Newcomer at Melbourne International Comedy Festival with her debut solo performance. Since then, she’s sold out shows in six countries, opened for Hannah Gadsby and made a slew of television appearances including Channel 10’s Have You Been Paying Attention? and ABC’s Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee.
Her memoir Standstill was published by Penguin Random House in August 2025. She was also named “One to Watch” at the UK Funny Women Awards and released her debut memoir, Standstill, with Penguin Books Australia in 2025.
