Despite his warnings at the start of his hilariously absurd new show, Sam Simmons is a masterful storyteller. The show has a framing device to ensure us that everything happening on stage is indeed supposed to (although last night's show resulted in a ripped pant leg, bloody shin and a broken finger, which presumably was unplanned).
Underneath the layers of surrealism are solid joke-writing, wordplay and observational humour, all filtered through Simmons' abstract brain and presented in a glorious mess of rants, props, narration, musical cues, dancing and a stream of incredibly specific impressions where the set-up is the joke.
Simmons establishes a playfully antagonistic - and sometimes actively hostile - relationship with the crowd, resulting in some pretty unusual audience participation. He's certainly not striving to be the lovable larrikin you want to get a beer with, but his show is all the better for it.
Simmons' frantic, chaotic, kitchen sink-style of comedy ensures that not everything will work for everybody. His humour will be too far out for some festival-goers, but for those looking for something riskier and more subversive, it's about as good as it gets.
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The show isn't very concerned with the titular movement, but it is interested in art. At one point Simmons questions whether his own show qualifies. His conclusion: Nah. But if art is about provocation and embracing the absurdity of life, then this is one of the best examples you'll find at this year's festival. Plus, his face looks funny.
Sam Simmons presents Radical Women of Latin American Art, 1960-1985 until 22 Apr at Arts Centre Melbourne, part of the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival
