Meet Sam Morrison: a 24-year old American comedian with a theatrical flair and a penchant for daddies.
An unashamed exploration of sexuality, prejudice and finding your feet.
Considering the subject material, you would be forgiven for expecting Morrison to be foul-mouthed in his portrayal of a potential obscenity. Instead, we are presented with a softly-spoken millennial whose memorability stems from his ability to command the room with an unassuming and intimate sense of familiarity. In fact, where Morrison’s routine excels is in its ability to confront us with our own prejudices: why is ‘daddy’ considered an inappropriate term of affection whilst ‘baby’ goes by unchecked?
Of course, stand-up composed around a fondness for bears could quite easily rely on the gimmick of rinsing the subject matter for cheap laughs, but Morrison cleverly uses the humour involved to make a cutting observation on the double standards implicit to heterosexual and homosexual expectations of normativity. Flitting between observational comedy and an overarching narrative that documents a recent rendezvous with a certain Seth Rogen-esque suitor, Morrison’s routine is simple and unassuming. He is a charismatic performer and works hard to make the material relevant to a wide demographic without resorting to stereotype.
However, whilst Morrison’s material delves beyond the superfluous, oftentimes the show ventures into incoherency. Whilst daddies may be an overarching theme within the play, punchlines soon drift in and out of other genres whose only relation stems from it being in some way sexual. Though a varied routine does well in maintaining attention, it does seem to somewhat dilute the integrity of the show’s intentions.
Forthright, honest and revealing: Hello, Daddy is a brazen soiree into a community often excluded from mainstream conversation. Bold in its nature and sensitive in its delivery, it seems that comedy has a place in serious conversation.
