Sam Campbell has had a big few years. Once a cult favourite amongst only the truest comedy heads, the Australian comic sky-rocketed in the UK with his 2022 Edinburgh Comedy Award win, and subsequent 2023 turn on Taskmaster.
From his appearance on the Channel 4 programme, as well as podcasts and panel shows, viewers can imagine what Campbell might be like on stage: a quirky performer cut from the same cloth as fellow internet favourite James Acaster. But boy, are they in for a shock.
Through stand-up, Campbell reaches a whole new level of eccentricity, with routines as utterly perplexing as they are hilarious. Joke for joke, there’s no funnier comedian on the scene right now.
As Campbell appears on stage at the spacious sold-out Indigo at the O2 for his new tour Wobservations, he’s sharply dressed in a neutral ensemble. Next door in the main arena, Brit record-breaker Raye is performing with a full orchestra and choir. “Typical, an old flame trying to sabotage me,” Campbell quips, shaking his fist at the sky.
But despite the plain tone of his outfit, nobody would call Campbell’s performance beige. He’s a ball of frenetic energy, constantly tossing his mic between his hands, yelling one-liners (“I’m the reason a lot of restaurants have laminated menus!”), and contorting his face, gargoyle-style.
The gag rate alone is astonishing. Campbell careers chaotically from one non sequitur to another, with gags about “wet families” in hotel pool lifts, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the number of dots on the new gov.uk logo.
Routines begin with unassuming, Michael McIntyre-esque observations, yet rapidly plummet into the strange, untapped depths of Campbell’s bizarre brain. Who, but Campbell, could start a simple gag about Out Of Office replies and within seconds be hunched over, personifying that message as a snivelling butler barring access to his email-sending overlord?
While the show still features Campbell’s slick trademark interactive video elements, the comic doesn’t rely on technology here. In fact, the first 30 minutes of Wobservations are straight stand-up, proving Campbell’s ability to paint images with his words that are as vivid as any video – even when, admittedly, those images make no logical sense.
Campbell’s scrappy energy only adds to his charm. This is a comedian unafraid to laugh at his own jokes; when he stumbles on line delivery or tech messes up, it never phases him.
If the show leaves you with any questions, it’s how the hell Campbell comes up with this stuff. But the total lack of predictability, the relentlessness, is what makes his stand-up so singular. The audience must adjust, or be swept away if they don’t. Comedy’s strangest, most exciting new voice is here, so buckle up.
Touring to 29 June
