FRINGE REVIEW: “Sam See: Government Approved Sex”

Sam See: Government Approved Sex – Venue 170: Laughing Horse @ Counting House – The Attic – 7.30pm

STOOD in front of a small, cramped, and oppressively-warm room in the Counting House’s Attic was Singaporean comedian Sam See with a half-delighted, half-apologetic smile on his face as he warned people to grab drinks before he began. Kindly, he supplied branded fans for his soon-to-be-sweaty audience along with a condom that would set the theme for the show.

Both the wee room and fun freebies helped to break the ice, creating an immediate intimacy with audience members that would carry on throughout the rest of his show.

Despite his small stature, Sam has a big presence – likely one reason that the Singaporean government mistakenly asked the gay comedian to run a series of panels on sex. As many people may or may not know, homosexuality (strictly concerning two men) is not yet legal in Singapore and talking about it openly in a government-run library is not without its risks – but as Sam See flippantly stated, he’s a comedian and not one to turn down a guaranteed payday.

So, filled with fun facts and cardboard graphs about sex and dating – both straight and queer – and his own personal dating anecdotes, Sam See invited us to laugh and participate with him as we guessed at statistics and cringed along with him as he recalled the trial and tribulations of dating the delightfully named doctor, Blond John.

At the beginning of the show, Sam spotted my red press lanyard and told his audience that they better laugh to make him look good, but the half-hearted threat was totally unnecessary. Sam See’s Government Approved Sex is a genuinely funny and endearing set that had members of the audience practically cackling throughout – myself included. I don’t think there was a joke that didn’t land well. This show is a part of the Free Fringe, so make sure you grab a ticket and tip generously. It’s well deserved.

FOUR STARS

Get the full details about the show here.

Plus, read more reviews on Scottish Field’s Fringe pages.