Kabarett (from French cabaret = tavern) is a form of cabaret which developed in Germany from 1901, with the creation of the Überbrettl venue, and that by the Weimar era in the mid 1920s was characterized by political satire and gallows humor. It shared the characteristic atmosphere of intimacy with the French cabaret from which it was imported, but the gallows humor was a distinct German aspect. Other differences were that it consisted only of sketches, satire and parodies without any show elements.^{[citation needed]}

Kabarett is the German word for "cabaret" but has two different meanings. The first meaning is the same as in English, describing a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre (often the word "Cabaret" is used in German for this as well to distinguish this form). The latter describes a kind of political satire. Unlike comedians who make fun of all kind of things, Kabarett artists (German: Kabarettisten) pride themselves as dedicated almost completely to political and social topics of more serious nature which they criticize using techniques like cynicism, sarcasm and irony.

Alfred Dorfer (11 October 1961, Vienna) is an Austrian comedian, writer, and actor. He is one of the most well-known cabaret artists and comedians in Austria, not least due to his commitment to numerous Austrian film productions. After initial success with the group Schlabarett he attained more widespread recognition as the writer and star (alongside Josef Hader) of the film Indien.

In 1993 Dorfer appeared alongside Josef Hader in the film Indien under the direction of Paul Harather. A year later came the film Muttertag (Mother's Day), in which he appeared alongside such other prominent Austrian actors and comedians as Roland Düringer, Andrea Händler and Reinhard Nowak. In 1995 he appeared in Freispiel ("Freegame") under the direction of Harald Sicheritz, once more appearing alongside Roland Düringer.

He currently presents a show on the Austrian channel ORF called Dorfers Donnerstalk on Thursday nights, which is a mix of stand-up comedy, sketches and social commentary.