Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

A few hours after winning the most significant prize at the Fringe, and Sam Campbell is still buzzing with giddy energy, even more than usual. 

His excitement turns up the heat on the bubbling caldron of absurd, unconnected ideas that comprise his post-midnight show. Or in his analogy – said as a mock boast, but containing more than a nugget of truth: ‘My mind is a prison full of crazy ideas and I think there’s going to be a jailbreak!’

He is, indeed a wild and crazy guy, hurtling through surreal situations, smart-but-silly wordplay, off-kilter sketches and eccentric observational comedy with the urgency of a man with a train to catch. There’s heavy use of PowerPoint to score visual gags while other cult festival figures make cameo appearances, including Mark Silcox as a caped interplanetary hypnotherapist who saves the day.

It’s a fool’s errand to look for a theme, but there are several great gags about corporate messaging, including Weetabix adopting a gnarly new font, the coquettishness of the Sydney Olympics mascot or the (mis)marketing of Bratz dolls.  

He’s a trickster king, frequently wrong-footing the audience with smart misdirections or by taking stupidly contrarian stances, such as savaging the idea of the ‘underdog’ and all the idiots who would root for such an upstart.  

There are in-jokes galore. I was surprised, and also not surprised, to be his final punchline – a bit of mockery which won’t make any sense outside this festival, but gets knowing laughs within it. Meanwhile Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Award becomes an accolade for the nicest smile, with all his rivals having their faces electronically manipulated. The Australian’s oddness is almost always based on a proper joke or observation – great routines mock sea life and an easily distracted barber – all tangentially approached or amplified to a preposterous degree. 

Campbell’s mind obviously works in unconventional ways, but don’t expect him be analysing its mechanics like so many other comedians this festival. He’s just happy to ride the wave of creativity, overstuffing this hot and sweaty with his uniquely stupid ideas.

He grows in confidence every year, having knocked off the antsy compulsion he once had to alienate quarters of his audience, and now wins them all over with the force, pace and originality of his fertile ideas.

 • Sam Campbell: Comedy Show is on at Monkey Barrel Comedy at 00.05 tonight.

Review date: 28 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club