Sam Simmons' comedy style has always been brazenly strange but tonight it graduates to utterly weird (in the best possible way). It's as if bringing home the prestigious Best Comedy Show at Edinburgh Fringe has given him the confidence to stretch the silliness so far that he's found a sweet spot of absurdity. Tonight he takes the whole Not A People Person premise quite literally, haranguing the audience at regular intervals ("Adelaide was way fucking better than you," and, "You're all just hot and conservative" — two of his better zingers), waging an ongoing battle with a disconcerted patron in the front row and even kicking out one inebriated heckler after one pitiful joust too many. At times it's like walking into the 'abuse room' from Monty Python's Argument Sketch, such is the level of hostility.
But in between the vitriol there's a glut of comedy gold: Simmons' timing, gesticulations and facial expressions are transcendent, augmented wonderfully by hilarious recorded audio prompts and basic but imperative props. He claims that the show is somehow about "bird ethics and sadness", but when you're constantly crying with laughter you don't really need much cohesion. Spectacularly surreal.
