one4review | On 28, Aug 2026

Sam Serrano arrives with the tunes of Yungblud blaring through the PA, which feels suitably Fringe for this newly blooded act at The Stand.

From the beginning, they’re trying to get their head around the mechanics of the Fringe, from ridiculously overpriced accommodation to juggling the finances and finding an audience. The eccentric, posh old twats who turned up opening night would be enough material for a show in itself: stories of gigs in tiny villages, the strange rituals of the Oxford crowd and the growing realisation that, while they might not quite belong there, they could take to manor lifestyle with ease

Then they ask the glorious question of which team do you support? “Crystal Palace, because they are two things I love.”, a throwaway line that proves Serrano’s everyone appeal.

There’s a more serious thread. Serrano is non-binary and, in September 2020, was the victim of a hate crime. They use this as the fulcrum holding everything together, exploring how it changed their perspective and how they dealt with what happened.
That leads to some of the show’s killer comedy moments with the more provocative material, including their pushback against the idea of simply giving trans women their own Olympics as a solution. It’s thoughtful and funny, and Serrano finds the comedy without losing sight of the point.

Overall, Mars is an excellent show with the right balance and playfulness, and Serrano is a growing, increasingly self-aware comedy talent. On this showing, we’ll be hearing a lot more of, and in the years to come, they’ll be sitting at the comedy elite table, no longer taking orders but holding court.

****
Reviewed by Steve H
The Stand 4
6th to 30th Aug 21.45