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Fringe review: Sam Simmons – Be a Verb

It’s hard to know exactly what’s going to happen when you sit down to a Sam Simmons show, but the comedian is consistent with one thing – peculiarity. ★★★★

Mar 11, 2022, updated Mar 11, 2022
Sam Simmons... and friend.

Sam Simmons... and friend.

An unexpected entrance sets the tone for an hour with Adelaide-born Sam Simmons, who has humoured and perplexed audiences around the world – notably as a guest on the UK panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Those familiar with Simmons know his particular brand of oddball comedy is as bizarre as it is hilarious. Often, you don’t really know why his jokes are funny, but you just can’t stop laughing.

“Just give in – this is all it’s gonna be,” he instructs.

In Be a Verb, he takes to the stage of the Garden of Unearthly Delights’ The Box with a special guest. A global pandemic can be a lonely time, so to help him cope, Simmons created an automated best friend who joins him throughout the show, prompting jokes and songs.

In a politically correct world, Simmons offers somewhat of an alternative, saying he’s not here for the “woke jokes”.

It’s all in the delivery, and he can get away with just about anything with his dry observational style. Even better, package it up with a catchy tune. “I Want to Be a Daddy’s Girl” is the comedian’s musical answer to “What sort of girl would you be?”. It’s one of those songs where you miss half the lines because you’re laughing too hard.

Simmons has a real talent of turning the most ordinary of sentences into absurd comedy with a bit of background music and some (actually quite good) singing.

There’s absolutely no structure or strong theme in the show, but as the comedian himself puts it: “I know it was a strange show, but it was good.”

Sam Simmons – Be A Verb is in the Garden of Unearthly Delights until March 20.

Read more 2022 Adelaide Fringe stories and reviews here.

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