August 15, 2026 at Hoots @ Nicolson Square, Nic 6
Samira Banks first came on my radar when I watched the finals of the So You Think You’re Funny competition in 2023, and was not remotely surprised when she won, as she had skill beyond what you’d normally see from such a new comedian. She’s spent the last three years honing these skills on the club circuit, and is now ready to put together her debut hour. This is a work in progress toward that hour – the show is not yet stitched together, but she already has all the elements of an hour that I look forward to seeing, and enough funny material to make the WIP worth your time as well.
There’s a theme to the show about being in safe hands, which she weaves around topics as disparate as an audiences’ concern about whether a stand-up show will be good, teachers who can be too concerned about their students’ lives, and the precarious safety of her Iranian refugee parents. She mines humour just from the absurdity of grouping these ideas together, and discusses extremely dark stuff with a deadpan tone. She even offers the audience a safeword in case things get too rough.
Banks held the audience’s attention very well, considering she was performing in a tiny tent at 21:10 on a Saturday night, with just a flimsy curtain to block us from the wind and the sound of the cars outside. Each bit is funny enough to make us want to hear the next one, despite the distractions, as she puts on deliberately shoddy wigs to embody various characters. There was a current of excitement in the room – well, the tent – that we’re getting to see the shambolic beginnings of a how a successful show starts. Banks has ideas that are unique and interesting, and she has the talent to pull them off.
Dave Baillie