Skinny Man, Modern World
Sammy J
Lithuanian Club
September 24 – October 9 (excluding Mondays), 2010
Tickets: $20 – $25

I walked into the Lithuanian Club with quite high expectations, Sammy J having won the Barry Award for best show at the 2010 Melbourne Comedy festival, a well recognised achievement amongst his peers. When the skit began with a cliché, thundering WWE rip-off announcement: “Introducing Sammy J, weighing in at 58 kilograms…” and Sammy J himself proceeded to begin his skit with a story titled “The Double Cocking”…let’s just say I was a little underwhelmed. But despite this wobbly start, Sammy J proved worthy of his commendations on this Sunday night at North Melbourne’s Lithuanian Club.

Sammy J is a prolific and delightfully exaggerating storyteller who delivers an intelligent, well rounded, sometimes musical, other times screeching, comedy act, Sammy J: Skinny Man, Modern World, at this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival.

The title is quite apt, as when the act concluded, I genuinely did have an unambiguous representation of this comedic individual. Sammy J successfully manages to paint a portrait of himself as a human being trying, and at times hilariously failing, to fit into society’s heavily constructed ideals of hegemonic masculinity.

It is for this very reason that there are quite a few penis references and one particularly strong ‘warning’ that is issued before a story begins. (At the risk of spoiling a punch line, let me just say that you will not be rushing out to devour any beef burgers with caramelised onions following the show.) A highlight was the ‘5 Pellet Plan’ – an incredibly entertaining rendition of his first paint balling experience. From memory, his explanation of being hit went a little like this: “…just like real bullets…without the sweet release of death.”

There were the usual gags that guarantee a laugh: a dig or three at Adelaide, an Alf Stewart impersonation and embarrassing an audience member. Yet it was the little, more unique touches, like Sammy’s constant, bizarre sipping from a juice box and the ever changing lighting effects which made the show.

Apart from the sporadic screech of a subtitle, and the tendency to talk a little too often in third person, what Sammy J delivers is nothing short of entertaining. Take your boyfriend, male friend, partner, man crush, or brother from another mother along and have a good chuckle at someone else’s expense. After all that is what comedy is all about. No?

Click here for Laneway‘s full coverage of the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival.