Perth International Comedy Festival: Sammy J and Randy’s Difficult First Album

I have seen Sammy J and Randy as a double act and also as standalone artists. Most recently Randy wowed audiences in the Perth Fringe Festival in January this year.

Together they are a formidable force. The pace of their verbal interaction is verging on the frightening. I was not alone in the audience who literally could not hear and catch the plethora of comedic spitfire references. Occasionally it felt like we were merely observing the lightning exchanges between two protagonists from a distance.

However I must acknowledge the formidable wit and clever writing of this brilliant duo. The tone was set with the reference to the Difficult First Album. “If my life was a movie it would go straight to DVD”. There were glancing references to WA: The $7.00 coffees and the sharks. The boys from The Chaser (also in the Perth International Comedy Festival) copped a currently newsworthy serve or two.
Sammy J is a remarkable mover and mime. Amazingly (for a puppet) Randy proved his equal in several numbers, memorably the car driving sequence with disco accompaniment.

As expected, the late night show, the last of three at the Astor tonight, had more than the usual amount of ‘language’. There were extremely politically incorrect references, read ‘dwarfs’ and ‘midgets’. The packed and vociferous crowd couldn’t have cared less. They loved it!

Bitter recriminations. Passionate reconciliations. This show gave us a new dimension to the Sammy J and Randy partnership!

There was a lovely backstage chat ridiculing the audience and our meek obedience of instructions – ‘Clap along now’.

The dynamic duo closed with a brilliant tribute to ‘Australian Music’. The crowd roared their approval as familiar popular songs were mercilessly satirized.