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With Midsumma fast approaching, it鈥檚 time to get your tickets , and Samuel Barnett in Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen is one you will not want to miss!聽

Brought to you by the award-winning producers of Baby Reindeer and Fleabag, the show centres on a vulnerable 36-year old comedian, navigating the gay dating scene and the treacherous swamps of his own neuroses. When he meets the man of his dreams, is this a chance to be happy, or is something afoot? And is the audience鈥檚 laughter worth the price he’s willing to pay?

A Professional In His Prime

The Star Observer sat down with the show鈥檚 star, Samuel Barnett, for a chat that reveals the show鈥檚 mysterious themes, miraculous origins and absolutely magnetic leading man.

Audiences may recognise Barnett from TV鈥檚 Penny Dreadful or Dirk Gently鈥檚 Holistic Detective Agency or from his now 20-year-old Tony and Olivier Award鈥搉ominated performance in The History Boys, where he originated the character of Posner and reprised the role for the celebrated film adaptation.

He鈥檚 come a long way since playing the love-struck teenager 鈥� and now, after a celebrated and award-winning run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at the Bush Theatre in London, he鈥檚 coming to Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.聽

Theatre Tailor-Made

Written for Barnett during Covid by British-Brazilian-Australian writer Marcelo dos Santos, Feeling Afraid blurs the lines between stand-up comedy performance and play.

Despite reviews championing his comedy chops, Barnett is quick to clarify that he鈥檚 鈥渇irst and foremost, and actually only, an actor鈥� I’m in no way a comedian. So this has been, like, one of the most challenging jobs I’ve ever done.鈥澛�

鈥淚t Feels Glorious鈥� To Be Fully Myself鈥�

Both actor and character are, however, out and proud, despite Barnett being given instructions to be publicly closeted.

鈥淚n America, I was told 鈥榙on’t talk about your sexuality.鈥� In fact, I was literally told 鈥榳e’ll do the Jodie Foster-style press where it’s just not mentioned.鈥�

鈥淚 never stuck to that. I’ve only ever been any good at, I can’t really seem to manage to be anything other than my authentic self. I’ve never really been able to cover it.鈥�

And now, 20 years later, Barnett says 鈥渋t feels glorious to be able to talk about it in interviews like this and be fully myself.鈥�

The world鈥檚 attitude to gay characters has changed a lot in 20 years, but so has Barnett, and with it, the skills he has to bring those characters to life.

鈥淚 wasn’t a particularly happy person 20 years ago鈥� he says, but, 鈥渢he happier I’ve become, the more therapy I’ve had, the more work I’ve done on myself, the more fully me I’ve become, the better I’ve become as an actor鈥� because I have more access to myself. So for me, in a kind of full circle moment, it feels gorgeous to be playing this at my time of life.鈥�

鈥淏eing Queer As A Human Being鈥�

The character of 鈥榯he comedian鈥� may be openly gay, but he鈥檚 still 鈥渋nsecure, uptight [and] neurotic鈥�, which Barnett says is also a unique pleasure.

Portrayals of queer characters today allows us 鈥渢o be fully rounded human beings鈥�, unlike in the past when 鈥渨e were screwed up and we were going to die young鈥� and none of us could have happy relationships鈥�, or more recently when 鈥渋t went so far the other way 鈥� that all queer people were unicorns and magical and perfect鈥�.

What Barnett relishes is the opportunity to play characters that show all sides of the queer experience; 鈥淲e’re allowed to be human鈥� We can be fully our authentic selves. We can also show the trauma that a lot of us have been through in terms of having to be the class clown, having to wear that vulnerability as a shield and a shell, having to put yourself down and make yourself smaller in order to be safe. We can show that side as well. We can show how magnificent we are and how neurotic we still are. Basically, we’re allowed to be human. And I’m really enjoying that. I’m really enjoying owning being queer as a human being.鈥�

Queer Audiences A Rare Treat

While society has come a long way, there鈥檚 nothing like performing to an audience of your peers, which is what makes this particular Midsumma so special: it鈥檚 the first time the show鈥檚 been performed to primarily queer audiences.

鈥淚 was so pleased when I was told it was part of [Midsumma], because鈥� that’s the audience we didn’t necessarily find in London鈥�, and even during the initial Edinburgh Fringe Festival run 鈥測ou could always tell when it was a very queer audience and equally you could always tell when it was a very straight audience.鈥�

With a predominantly queer audience 鈥測ou’re not having to explain or defend yourself. That seems radical to me鈥�.

But that kind of acceptance hasn’t always been the norm 鈥� onstage or in life 鈥� 鈥渂ecause that’s trauma for you, isn’t it? It’s always slightly in the back of my mind about just being careful, just watching who’s around as you walk down the street. And it’s the same in a theatre鈥�.

Especially for a show that blurs the line between stand-up comedy and play, 鈥渢here is sometimes heckling鈥� but that with a queer and ally audience, there鈥檚 鈥渁 whole other layer of ease and comfort and freedom.鈥�

So audiences at Midsumma won鈥檛 just be treated to Barnett at his peak confidence as a performer, but with his dream co-star, because 鈥渢he audience is the other character on stage for me.鈥�

Although, don鈥檛 fear, he鈥檚 quick to add that 鈥渢here’s no audience participation, which people are very pleased about.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 All A Nice Surprise鈥�

When asked what audiences should know before the show, Barnett says that while he鈥檚 very grateful for good reviews, they often give the twist away, and should be avoided if viewers want the full experience because 鈥渋t really lessens the impact of an audience seeing it for the first time鈥� just go in just knowing nothing and it’s all a nice surprise鈥�.

For audiences who are looking for a fun evening with friends and family who might not identify as queer, Barnett says 鈥測es, it’s got loads of queer content, but it’s such a human story, this thing of relationships, insecurity, looking for love, sabotaging it, getting it right, getting it wrong, the truths that we hide from ourselves, what we reveal to other people, what we think we’re not revealing to other people, but they can actually see. And I think all of us, regardless of gender and sexuality, have really connected with it. And also it’s a joy because alongside all of that, it’s really funny.鈥�