Sam Campbell: The Last Dreamer

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Sam Campbell is a nervous young gentleman. On the one hand, his demeanor—perpetually on the verge of self-deprecating panic—makes you want to reach out and reassure him of his obvious talents; conversely, The Last Dreamer goes some way to proving the efficacy of that nebulous concept, 'nervous energy'. If Campbell can be this funny when things go wrong (which, he is apparently convinced, they often do), one can only imagine how great he would be with a confidence boost and a little more smooth sailing. 

Which isn't to say that Campbell salvages every aspect of his act – his self-consciously surreal opening and closing, complete with wacky wigs and costumes, are surplus to requirements, but they don't spoil the whimsical, distinctive and sometimes purposefully profane material that makes up the bulk of his set.

Unlike many comedians overexcited by technological possibilities, Campbell does not include bells and whistles purely for the sake of it, but punctuates the show with carefully employed, effectively realised segments of animation, video footage and slideshows. They only work with his live guidance and, thankfully, they do, be they memories of an ill-fated romantic cruise on a speedboat, or a theory of how the human body should be rearranged. His interactions with the audience are a mixed bag – Campbell's far too pleasant to take the coward's route of using them for fodder, but they tend to interrupt the show's momentum.

Nevertheless, The Last Dreamer is no disaster, contrary to what Campbell may think. It is a work in progress that is rewarding to behold.