Sammy J
Encyclopedia
Sam McMillan is an Australia
n musical comedian and writer
who performs under the stage name Sammy J. He embraces a variety of media in his comedy, including the use of video and self-composed music. He has released three CD compilations of his comic songs, "The Burden of Popularity", "Sammy J - Live?" and "Sticky Digits". He has performed at comedy festivals in Australia and Britain and has appeared on various Australian television shows.
He currently performs with Heath McIvor (aka Randy, a purple puppet) as the duo Sammy J & Randy.
at the University of Melbourne
for two and a half years, where he also directed and appeared in the Melbourne Law Comedy Revue. He says he was more interested in writing jokes than studying, and halfway through the course decided to drop out. He subsequently completed a media degree and began to pursue a full-time comedy career.
He performs under the stage name Sammy J, a condensation of his full name, Samuel Jonathan McMillan. According to McMillan, his stage name originated as a high school nickname which he says he gave to himself "when I was trying to manufacture a bit of popularity... My family and friends were reluctant to adopt it but I pushed and pushed, using it at every opportunity, and eventually started using it on stage."
He attended The Peninsula School, Mt Eliza, and can sometimes be seen wearing his uniform during performances which reference his school days.
for his debut solo show, "Sammy J's 55 Minute National Tour". He has since performed solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Adelaide Fringe
and Melbourne comedy festivals, as well as starring in the Comedians' Theatre Company's production of Breaker Morant
at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2008, he collaborated with puppeteer Heath McIvor on a musical, "Sammy J and the Forest of Dreams". The show, which stars McMillan and 14 foul-mouthed puppets operated by McIvor, is an adult fairy tale parodying the format of Disney
children's movies. It revolves around the lead character—Sammy J—and his discovery of a portal in his kitchen cupboard which leads him to the magical Forest of Dreams. "The Forest of Dreams" was well-received by critics in Melbourne, earning a nomination for the festival's Barry Award for the most outstanding show and winning The Age
Critics Award for the best local act.
At the 2008 Melbourne Fringe Festival
then-25 year-old McMillan launched "The 50 Year Show", the first in a series of live comedy shows which he plans to reprise every five years, ending in 2058 when he will be 75. McMillan describes the show as "a living, breathing comedic time capsule. Every five years we can observe the world, make predictions, see how the world's changed." It includes segments such as a 50 Year Soap Opera, a 50 Year Story; and the 50 Year Dancers, a group of five year-olds performing a routine which they will repeat at each show. McMillan first conceived the idea for "The 50 Year Show" in 2007 while sitting on a London bus full of elderly people and wondering how he could make his mark.
In 2009 McMillan premiered a new solo show, "Sammy J: 1999", at the Adelaide Fringe Festival
. McMillan plays his fifteen-year-old self in the one-man musical, which illustrates his life at the dawn of the new millennium. He acknowledges that it may have been more commercially sensible to do a sequel to "Sammy J and the Forest of Dreams" with McIvor, given the success of that show, but says that he and McIvor wanted to challenge themselves instead by both doing solo shows. McMillan performed the new musical in April as a part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. In the same year, McMillan released a CD of his comedic songs, including some new material as well as some of his more popular pieces.
In 2010 he reunited with Heath McIvor (aka Randy the purple puppet) to create Ricketts Lane, which won the Barry Award for Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It then played at the Sydney Opera House.The two then debut the sequel, Bin Night, in 2011 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. So far it has received many positive reviews.
He has appeared on various Australian television shows, including Spicks and Specks, Good News Week
and Stand Up Australia
, and was featured on the Laughapoolooza DVD released in Australia by Madman Entertainment. He has also written and performed on The Comedy Channel
's satirical news show The Mansion
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n musical comedian and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who performs under the stage name Sammy J. He embraces a variety of media in his comedy, including the use of video and self-composed music. He has released three CD compilations of his comic songs, "The Burden of Popularity", "Sammy J - Live?" and "Sticky Digits". He has performed at comedy festivals in Australia and Britain and has appeared on various Australian television shows.
He currently performs with Heath McIvor (aka Randy, a purple puppet) as the duo Sammy J & Randy.
Personal background
McMillan studied lawLaw
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
for two and a half years, where he also directed and appeared in the Melbourne Law Comedy Revue. He says he was more interested in writing jokes than studying, and halfway through the course decided to drop out. He subsequently completed a media degree and began to pursue a full-time comedy career.
He performs under the stage name Sammy J, a condensation of his full name, Samuel Jonathan McMillan. According to McMillan, his stage name originated as a high school nickname which he says he gave to himself "when I was trying to manufacture a bit of popularity... My family and friends were reluctant to adopt it but I pushed and pushed, using it at every opportunity, and eventually started using it on stage."
He attended The Peninsula School, Mt Eliza, and can sometimes be seen wearing his uniform during performances which reference his school days.
Career
In 2006, McMillan took the Best Newcomer award at the Melbourne International Comedy FestivalMelbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
for his debut solo show, "Sammy J's 55 Minute National Tour". He has since performed solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Adelaide Fringe
Adelaide Fringe Festival
The Adelaide Fringe Festival is an arts festival held annually in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. The event is the Southern Hemisphere's largest arts event and the second-largest fringe festival in the world, second in size only to the Edinburgh Fringe...
and Melbourne comedy festivals, as well as starring in the Comedians' Theatre Company's production of Breaker Morant
Breaker Morant (play)
Breaker Morant: A Play in Two Acts is a significant Australian play written by Kenneth Ross, centred on the court-martial and the last days of Lieutenant Harry "Breaker" Morant of the Bushveldt Carbineers , that was first performed at the Athenaeum Theatre, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on...
at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2008, he collaborated with puppeteer Heath McIvor on a musical, "Sammy J and the Forest of Dreams". The show, which stars McMillan and 14 foul-mouthed puppets operated by McIvor, is an adult fairy tale parodying the format of Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
children's movies. It revolves around the lead character—Sammy J—and his discovery of a portal in his kitchen cupboard which leads him to the magical Forest of Dreams. "The Forest of Dreams" was well-received by critics in Melbourne, earning a nomination for the festival's Barry Award for the most outstanding show and winning The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
Critics Award for the best local act.
At the 2008 Melbourne Fringe Festival
Melbourne Fringe Festival
The Melbourne Fringe Festival is an annual independent arts festival held in Melbourne, Australia. The Festival runs for three weeks from late September to early October, usually overlapping with the beginning of the Melbourne International Arts Festival...
then-25 year-old McMillan launched "The 50 Year Show", the first in a series of live comedy shows which he plans to reprise every five years, ending in 2058 when he will be 75. McMillan describes the show as "a living, breathing comedic time capsule. Every five years we can observe the world, make predictions, see how the world's changed." It includes segments such as a 50 Year Soap Opera, a 50 Year Story; and the 50 Year Dancers, a group of five year-olds performing a routine which they will repeat at each show. McMillan first conceived the idea for "The 50 Year Show" in 2007 while sitting on a London bus full of elderly people and wondering how he could make his mark.
In 2009 McMillan premiered a new solo show, "Sammy J: 1999", at the Adelaide Fringe Festival
Adelaide Fringe Festival
The Adelaide Fringe Festival is an arts festival held annually in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. The event is the Southern Hemisphere's largest arts event and the second-largest fringe festival in the world, second in size only to the Edinburgh Fringe...
. McMillan plays his fifteen-year-old self in the one-man musical, which illustrates his life at the dawn of the new millennium. He acknowledges that it may have been more commercially sensible to do a sequel to "Sammy J and the Forest of Dreams" with McIvor, given the success of that show, but says that he and McIvor wanted to challenge themselves instead by both doing solo shows. McMillan performed the new musical in April as a part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. In the same year, McMillan released a CD of his comedic songs, including some new material as well as some of his more popular pieces.
In 2010 he reunited with Heath McIvor (aka Randy the purple puppet) to create Ricketts Lane, which won the Barry Award for Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It then played at the Sydney Opera House.The two then debut the sequel, Bin Night, in 2011 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. So far it has received many positive reviews.
He has appeared on various Australian television shows, including Spicks and Specks, Good News Week
Good News Week
Good News Week is an Australian satirical panel game show hosted by Paul McDermott that initially aired from 19 April 1996 to 27 May 2000, and resumed on 11 February 2008 to 9 May 2011. The show aired first on ABC TV before it was bought by Network Ten in 1999...
and Stand Up Australia
Stand Up Australia
Stand Up Australia was an Australian comedy TV program locally produced by The Comedy Channel from 2006 to 2008.It was hosted by Cameron Knight, and featured four Australian or international comedians on each one hour show...
, and was featured on the Laughapoolooza DVD released in Australia by Madman Entertainment. He has also written and performed on The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel is an Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.-History:...
's satirical news show The Mansion
The Mansion (TV series)
The Mansion is an Australian television comedy based upon news and current affairs. Hosted by Michael Chamberlin and Charlie Pickering and featuring Kate McLennan and Justin Kennedy, It premiered on The Comedy Channel on Thursday 3 April 2008 at 8:30 pm.The Mansion first aired on 26 January 2007...
.