The comedian has been a staple of the Adelaide Fringe program since his first low-key gig in the basement of the Rhino Room; now he’s packing out two weeks’ worth of gigs in Studio 7 in the Garden of Unearthly Delights.

In his latest show, Hero Complex, he tells of his teenage obsession with comic-book hero Phantom, a friendship with his high-school gardener, and the unlikely series of events that followed over the next 20-or-so years.

Sammy J has a self-depreciating confidence with a razor-sharp way of telling his story that leads his audience on a journey with as much emotion and intrigue as it has side-splitting humour.

Despite his popularity, he is still choosing intimate venues over larger theatres that would drown out his personable approach to comedy. His skill lies in his ability to make the audience members feel like his story could as easily be shared by a couple of friends over a pint as in a sold-out theatre venue.

There are fewer of Sammy’s brilliant songs in this show than there has been in previous ones. Hero Complex is first and foremost a re-telling of a series of coincidences that led to the birth of his daughter, saw him commit a crime, and ended with a federal policeman searching his attic.

You can’t make this stuff up, and Sammy J delivers it in a way that will have audience members giggling your whole way home.

Five stars

Sammy J – Hero Complex is showing at Studio 7 in the Garden of Unearthly Delights until March 5.