Sam Simmons absurdist humour has been a favourite of comedy fans for a couple of years now, and with his new-found fame as ‘the wacky guy’ on Triple J radio, Where Can I Win a Bear Around Here? gives Sam the opportunity to reach out to a wider audience.
A wider audience, however, hasn’t much changed Sam’s approach to comedy. From the setup of a forgotten ATM PIN code, we’re taken on a trip inside Sam’s mind to ostensibly to find that code, but really it’s just an excuse for craziness. Plucking out an audience member through the use of a hidden toy bear, Sam confronts them with surreal trivia questions, constantly sending them to their seat and bringing them back. Sam struck gold with the participant on the night – Eric gave a great deadpan reaction to Sam’s craziness, creating the perfect foil. These interactions were interspersed with songs, dances, a lego man, a wig and general absurdity. His over the top teardown of by-the-book stand-up was especially great.
It’s great to see Sam with his confidence back. Last years show and spots around town had been plagued with constant worried questioning about whether the show was too weird. Sam’s television and radio exposure now delivers an audience fully prepared for his absurdity, and Sam revels in the knowledge that he can push them as far as he wants. Sometimes Sam strays to being overly silly to grab some cheap laughs, but generally he’s just doing what he wants.
The ending of the show was fantastic, with Sam stepping out of the craziness for a moment to make his point that he’s actually a boring person, but can step above that with the confidence that he just doesn’t care whether people like him or not. I guess that’s why I like him so much.
Sam’s not for everybody – he’s for people that like Sam Simmons. If you like lego men and bears, singing dancing and absurdity, then this is the only place to be.
Visit the comedy festival website for bookings and further details