Arriving 15 minutes early, I was faced with a slightly concerning prospect that I might be the only person turning up for this show. I still have vivid memories of reviewing a show in 2019 when I was the only audience member. The performer did well in the circumstances.
Sam Jacobsen was rather luckier in eventually having six audience members. He himself led us up the winding stairs to the venue (the attic is unsurprisingly at the top of the building!); it was clear that this was going to be a classic Free Fringe experience, not the slick style you might get at the big venues.
His engaging, self-deprecating manner allowed the audience to relax. They were soon aware that they would have to participate in the show but there was no sense of being put on the spot. Instead, the show had a lovely collaborative feel, with all the audience members happy to get stuck – some of them displaying some impressive performance skills of their own. We were all in it together.
The premise was that Sam was a script writer for television and movies and that this was his opportunity to present some of his ideas which haven’t yet made it to the screen. These included wacky quiz show formats and strange ideas for films. These ideas were realised in a very minimalistic way; through a series of simple props, and some musical backing- played through the phone. This was not a big budget show. As he put it at the start, when introducing himself onto the stage, ‘this is not live at the Apollo’.
Jacobsen’s audience interactions were excellent, with some nice impromptu stuff. There was genuine wit in some of his off the cuff remarks. One highlight was his absurdist take on superhero films: Deliveroo Man – half man, half takeaway. Dressed in a deep pan pizza suit, this was a particularly entertaining segment. Another successful part involved us creating prime minister’s questions, trying to reproduce the guttural noises used in that political bear pit. That was perhaps the most effective part of the show.
This charming, unpretentious show was an example of the way that the Free Fringe (in both its PBH & Laughing Horse variants) allows performers to begin their Fringe journey. Performers such as Rob Auton who have, over a number of years, graduated from playing to tiny audiences to packing out large venues. There are enough signs in this show that as his material develops, that Jacobsen could make progress – though this is a very competitive field. It’s easy for performers like this to get lost in the mix. Who knows whether Sam Jacobsen will ‘make it’, but this fun, participative show deserves support.
Sam’s Scriptz!
Venue 170. Laughing Horse @ The Counting House – The Attic · 15:00 ·
Aug 16-20, 22-27.
