Mining a rich vein of absurdist humour, and utilising a selection of lo-fi props, including a cardboard spaceship and a series of flipchart cartoons, broadcaster and comedian Sam Simmons’ latest show baffles and delights in equal measure.
The Precise History of Things is nominally a collection of responses to letters and emails Simmons has received at JJJ; the jumping-off point for a collection of sketches that range from toilet tips for men to an opera set in the Mexican food aisle at a Coles supermarket.
Transgressing both audience boundaries and traditional narrative structures, and featuring everything from nudist pinecones to shorts-wearing moths, the dream-logic progression of Simmons’ manic performance conceals a subtle concern for the petty cruelties of modern life. Not every element is completely successful, but anyone who can turn a packet of Continental Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce into an object of hilarity is truly deserving of praise.
Rating: Four stars
Sam Simmons and the Precise History of Things
Melbourne Town Hall until April 24
Tue-Sat 9.45pm, Sun 8.45pm
This review originally appeared in The Age on Wednesday April 6.
2 comments:
This is absurdist humour, but very accessible and really, really, funny. Just go. Sam played to a well-deserved packed house last night and the crowd loved it.
I saw this show last night and walked out. It was dreadful. To be fair, there were moments of ok but really it turned into a rant opportunity for Sam. Really disappointing show. This guy is really overrated.
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