Comedy in Preview

Sam Simmons - one of the hottest young comics in the world - is an absurdist Peter Pan who gets by “doing weird shit”, and he is headed our way after knocking their socks off at the Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s biggest comedy festival.

“I was just over in Edinburgh and was widely embraced but I think in this country, it's Hughesy or nothing - but I can understand it because he is a funny bastard. I suppose I am the only one who does (this type of comedy) in Australia. I guess that's a good thing. I am, at least in this country, a bit of an innovator when it comes to doing the absurd whereas over in the UK it's quite commonplace to do this sort of stuff. “

And it wasn't just the average punter who got his Dada-esque musings, with his show proving to be a real hit with some of the big wheels in town.

“I was lucky enough - and I am not just dropping freaking names here - but I had the BBC in quite a bit, and we were talking about the development of a series which is outrageously fucking exciting. It's up to me to come up with something great - they might just think it is shit house, but I think they really like the bravery of an Australian absurdist, they haven't seen anything like it before.”

This possible UK hook-up comes on the back of Simmons' rising Australian profile, which saw its beginnings on Melbourne community radio and finds it's latest incarnation on the ABC 2's 'Urban Monkey'- leading to some pretty funny reactions from the average man in the street.“

People come up to me and say ‘be funnier - you're weird mate!’ But generally, everyone has been awesome. I have never really had savage heckling.”“

I had a horrible moment in Canberra earlier this year in front of about a thousand people. And fair enough as well. It was their Friday/Saturday night out and they wanted to hear about stuff that they were into, about the footy or whatever and I am up there talking about seagulls and shit. Fair enough they've worked hard their whole week and it comes to Friday night and they've got a dickhead on stage talking about swans. So they just turned on me. You've got to be able to sell it at some point - but fuck it's just hard sometimes.”

So how do Brisbane audiences rate then?“

I am not just saying it but I really love Brissie shows! I always expect a real roughneck, bogan element, but it never really happens. It's actually cool Bris-tannia going on up there, they are a bit more forward. In comparison to Sydney yeah - I just get yobs to my shows in Sydney.”

But even Sydney's rough trade can't come close to the comedy's version of Dante's inferno - the most notorious venue of the Edinburgh Fringe.

“There is an infamous night up there called 'Late and Live' and it is a bear pit. People just go there to heckle, it's packed, it's 500 people - they are drunk Scots mainly, and they just want cock jokes. It's a real trial by fire - I came within three minutes from a point where they were stomping the ground, cheering, and I was like 'alright I've got your trust - let's go, let's go for some weird shit' and they just - it was violent. The infamous story of this place - somebody pissed in a jumper and threw it at the comic, they threw just like a wet jumper on some poor bastards face. Just violently horrible.”

Luckily such moments are few and far between, with the Adelaide-born-and-bred comedian sounding pretty relaxed about his vision of the world - separate from the back room, back slapping of the industry.

“I don’t have many firends in the comedy world and I didn't watch a lot of stand up (growing up), and I still don't. I have worked a lot with animals and they work their way into the stuff as well, because they make you relax and not stress and think about things in a different way.”

Catch Sam Simmons at the Carnival's Edge September 24, 26 and 27 and on ABC 2 Monday nights with his new show 'Urban Monkey'.