Usually when I see a comedy show I write a review by the next morning at the latest. I saw Sam Simmons’ latest show Not A People Person on Friday night and I have been mulling it over ever since, trying to put my finger on what was going on onstage for 60 minutes. What I do know for certain is that it is a very funny show which I would highly recommend. I’ve just been trying to decipher and decode what it all means.

Part of the trouble is I feel I know too much about Simmons. Unlike most of the audience - he did a straw poll from the stage - I’ve seen his other recent shows. I’ve also seen an Australian TV documentary in which Simmons talked about a troubled childhood and a suicide attempt at the age of 13. This latter issue was addressed in his last show, Spaghetti for Breakfast, which won the Barry Award in Melbourne and the Edinburgh Comedy Award, and I couldn’t decide whether he consciously alludes to it again here. 

While Simmons says that birds is the theme in the obligatory “wafer thin narrative” death seemed to be the subtext to me. At one point he talks about the perfect form of euthanasia, describing what might be his perfect final day (which includes a potshot at fellow critic Brian Logan of the Guardian - who says comedians don’t care about reviews?). I loved his image of falling into a Viennetta, which he called an ice cream lasagne. 

There were plenty of moments here that were comically brilliant, taking in prop jokes, verbal flourishes, smut and much more. From his entrance sporting kangaroo hands - you try mic work with claws for fingers - to his trick of dropping a cup and catching it with his foot, via his “Big Thoughts” that were mostly accessible gags and observations. Most of this is finely crafted stupidity of the highest order, perhaps with echoes of Spike Milligan in the mix. But is he trying to tell us something or just make us laugh? 

For those that are familiar with the Simmons back story they may have spotted more going on like me, but I should add that this doesn't really matter. The show will work for newbies too. Despite Simmons’ habit of saying out loud that the audience is divided between enjoyment and confusion they mainly seemed to be enjoying it from where I was sitting, rather scuppering his admittedly ingenious description of himself as being like coriander - great in a dish but unpalatable on its own.

Simmons certainly has a habit of revealing his fragile ego as he catalogues his frustrations. Even the woman in my row that Simmons accused of being asleep was enjoying his performance rather than dozing - though her head was leaning to one side so it’s an easy mistake to make. Particularly if you are an insecure performer with possible abandonment issues.

I’m still dwelling on this show as I write. I’m not sure if I’ve seen a performance make me think this much since first seeing Daniel Kitson. I remember that after Kitson won the Perrier Award he described his awkward, uncompromising follow-up as his Kid A. I guess the same could be said for Not A People Person which isn’t quite as immediate as Spaghetti For Breakfast. But it is still of huge value. I’m pretty sure that Sam Simmons is doing something special here. I just can’t quite work out what it is exactly.

Sam Simmons is on tour from September 29. Details and dates here.