We first bumped into Sam Simmons in of all places, Coney Island whilst on a trip to New York in 2014. He was playing arcade games with his partner so we quickly said hello and congratulated him on his quirky little show Problems which aired on SBS.

He came across as he is on stage, humble, edgy and quite shy. He told us he was in NYC for some project discussions after a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe.

We wished him every success then proceeded to the hundred year old rollercoaster, The Cyclone to have our spinal chords readjusted.

A year later at The Melbourne International Comedy Festival we saw him perform his show Spaghetti for Breakfast which deservedly took out the Barry Award for best show of the festival.

He’s best described as a surrealist in style and his observations and stories can range from the utterly mundane to quite complex depending on his mood at the time.

He can go from telling the most beautiful of anecdotes to a tirade of expletives befitting a man born and raised in suburban Adelaide. Either way, an hour with Sam Simmons is compelling and very funny.

This was the first night of his new show Be a Verb at the outdoor stage of The Malthouse Theatre.

Given it was his first night it was clunky and no doubt will improve as a result, but what makes Sam so endearing is his honesty and authenticity when things didn’t work.

The thread of the show exists and is typically non-sensical but it’s not important because he improvises most of the way through it.

Sam’s shows generally have an ‘alter ego’ pre-recorded that he riffs with on stage and this was no exception although I felt that this time the alternate voice perhaps had a little too much dialogue.

Nonetheless Sam was greeted by a warm and generous audience pleased to see him back on stage after a tumultuous couple of years locked down with Covid.

Many of us have followed Sam on Facebook whilst he has openly battled a couple of mental breakdowns and a stay in hospital after having suicidal ideation and problems with his drinking.

His battles with mental illness were highlighted in Julia Zemiro’s documentary series, Home Delivery in 2014. A difficult childhood led to suicide ideation up to the deadly ‘planning stage’ whilst in his teenage years.

Sam has had success overseas in Edinburgh and appearances on high profile game and talk shows but any continuity in his career like most in the arts, was halted by Covid.

Compounding that, clinical depression didn’t help. According to Sam he suffers from depression and complex PTSD. For me and many in my family, it’s bi-polar disorder.

Having followed Sam’s journey on line these past two years, it was clear that he, like me and millions of others, defaulted to alcohol to  cope with the pain.

Before I rant, can I say that I’m not a reformed, anti-drinker and most of my friends love a drink. The difference is, they know how to moderate and people like me can’t.

That is why I’ve been sober for almost fifteen years. Heroic? Of course not. Sensible? Yes, for the first time in my life.

We lost a friend to suicide back in WA who was not dissimilar to Sam in character. Intelligent, funny and kind. For him to take his life had a profound effect on me personally.

Our friend clearly had undetected depression and was drinking heavily. He kept his problems to himself not wanting to be a burden and paid the ultimate price.

I was a so-called high functioning alcoholic at the time, although mostly ‘high’ and not ‘functioning’ would be more apt.

In my friend’s honour I ran the Melbourne marathon within twelve months. It was horrific and the only people I beat home were volunteers picking up witches hats behind me.

It didn’t matter as I felt like I’d punished myself sufficiently for the damage I’d done not just physically but more importantly the collateral damage to my closest relationships.

So, I know it’s a judgement call but I’m going to make it. If you or someone you know has a mental illness, then you must abstain from alcohol.

“But I only drink occasionally.” No. Completely abstain. Why? Because if you’ve been diagnosed with a mental illness it’s highly likely you are taking some form of medication and you are jeopardising your thinking by drinking.

People with mental illness will have that condition till they die. It’s not a flu. You have to find strategies that work with the illness, not against it. You won’t win otherwise.

You don’t have to run a marathon but goal setting helps, even if it’s just small incremental steps to chase each day/week/month/year, they work.

If you’re a social person who likes to drink with friends, find an alternative. There are plenty of non-alcoholic options these days. Personally I love San Pellegrino. I can go for a few hours with friends drinking that stuff despite a few more trips to the dunny than usual.

If you’re serious about your mental health, removing alcohol from your life is mandatory. Initially like any big change it will feel uncomfortable, but really it’s a small sacrifice for massive gains.

Rant over. During Sam’s path back from oblivion he started a daily service he calls ‘Talksies’.

Using an old flip phone and a $30 sim card, Sam speaks to disaffected people from around the country for an hour or so who just want to chat.

It’s grown to the point where ‘Talksies’ has it’s own website which is another terrific resource for anyone who is struggling.
https://www.talksies.or

Ok, well in true Sam Simmons fashion I’ve gone off kilter a bit. Sam is playing at The Malthouse Outdoor Stage until the 27th Feb 2022. Here are the details.
https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/tickets/malthouse-outdoor-stage/sam-simmons-be-a-verb

Be a Verb is a great way to get into the laughter groove before The Comedy Festival starts next month. God knows as Melbournians we’ve earned it!

If you or someone you know needs help, support is available 24/7:

Lifeline – 13 11 14

Suicide Line Victoria – 1300 651 251

Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636