Sammy J and Randy – The Inheritance
Directed by Wes Snelling, this latest sojourn into the lives of human/puppet odd couple Sammy J and his puppet housemate Randy (voiced and operated by Heath McIvor) tells the rather creaky tale of a long-lost relative, a huge inheritance and a haunted house. If it all sounds like a kids show, be warned: while the plot is somewhat juvenile, the jokes – and language – are often distinctly adult.
McIvor brings an expert mix of voice acting and puppetry to the table. He and Sammy J are at their best when playfully poking fun at the conventions of puppetry – one sojourn into shadow puppetry descends into farce as the actors mock their puppets’ flimsy limbs, while one of the best sight gags of the night comes when a puppet carks it on stage, only for McIvor, clad in puppeteer blacks, to dust himself off and casually walk off stage.
To be honest, the duo’s last Sydney show (the outstanding show Ricketts Lane) packed more belly laughs into its hour, but the mix of musical numbers, absurdist jokes and cerebral one-liners in The Inheritance still managed to charm Sydney Comedy Festival audiences.
