Sam Simmons

Sam Simmons is quite clearly demented. His show’s title, Meanwhile, refers to the quick transitions he makes between surreal sketch after surreal sketch, some brief and wordless (such as his portrayal of a dying beetle), some longer and coming from a place only Simmons knows (the increasingly frustrated interactions with a suitcase-based puppet alpaca). As with any show where a high volume of gags proliferate, not all of these hit the mark; Simmons’ faux-bitter observation that ‘I’ve lost some of you, haven’t I?’ is pretty close to the truth.

When he gets it right, though, it’s very right: his moments of interaction with the audience are beautifully awkward and undercut with impotent rage, while his climactic reminiscence of a boyhood lust for pre-packaged tacos is a sight to behold. It’s not always pretty – pity the poor stage crew that has to clean up after him – but in his finest moments, Simmons is sublime.