{"id":178948,"date":"2026-01-25T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=178948"},"modified":"2026-01-28T13:38:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T02:38:32","slug":"holding-out-fora-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/living\/holding-out-fora-hero\/","title":{"rendered":"Holding out for a hero complex"},"content":{"rendered":"

A decade after it first toured Australia, Sammy J’s award-winning show Hero Complex is returning to stages across Australia, making its Geelong debut on January 31.<\/p>\n

Based on a series of “strange, beautiful coincidences”, the show traces Sammy’s childhood obsession with The Phantom comic.<\/p>\n

“Hero Complex is a hard to believe, true story, which began back in 1996\u2026 when I saw the school gardener wearing a Phantom T-shirt and I was suddenly not alone.”<\/p>\n

He said this interaction led to a series of “strange, beautiful coincidences.”<\/p>\n

“[The gardener] remerged later in my life\u2026 and we became friends, then that led to a crime being committed, and that led to me meeting my wife. So, it’s a bit of a mystery detective story.”<\/p>\n

Overall, he described the show as “a love letter to anyone who’s a bit obsessed with anything”.<\/p>\n

After leaving his breakfast radio role at ABC Radio Melbourne in 2024, Sammy has enjoyed the time to focus on a plethora of new – and in this case, old – projects.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Hero Complex will be Sammy J’s second time performing a full solo show in Geelong, and he is very excited to return.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

“For the last year I’ve really tried to just jump into things\u2026 and it’s been a really satisfying 12 months.”<\/p>\n

From revising jokes, to updating graphics to match a decade of technological advancements, Sammy said the experience of returning Hero Complex to the stage has been “satisfying but strange.”<\/p>\n

“It’s been really nice, like putting on an old jacket and getting comfortable again.”<\/p>\n

The show has also given him a chance to reflect on what has changed in his life in the 10 years since it toured.<\/p>\n

“The show is already me talking about adolescence and childhood but now it’s me as a 42-year-old talking to myself as a 32-year-old.”<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the recent bushfires and flooding in the region, Sammy said he hoped his show can provide some joy.<\/p>\n

“I think the arts at large have always played a really big role in difficult times\u2026 as a bit of escapism.”<\/p>\n

With Hero Complex touring nationally until May, Sammy hoped Geelong audiences will take a chance to see the show, which has earned critical acclaim and plenty of laughs.<\/p>\n

“Live a little,” he said, “don’t die wondering!”<\/p>\n

Hero Complex will be performed on January 31 at Geelong Arts Centre. For more information, head to geelongartscentre.org.au\/whats-on\/all-events\/sammy-j\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A decade after it first toured Australia, Sammy J’s award-winning show Hero Complex is returning to stages across Australia, making its Geelong debut on January 31. Based on a series of “strange, beautiful coincidences”, the show traces Sammy’s childhood obsession with The Phantom comic. “Hero Complex is a hard to believe, true story, which began […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":247,"featured_media":178954,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-178948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHolding out for a hero complex - Surf Coast Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sammy J brings Hero Complex to Geelong Arts Centre on Jan 31 \u2013 a hilarious, heartfelt solo show exploring obsession, coincidences, and life\u2019s twists.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/living\/holding-out-fora-hero\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Holding out for a hero complex - 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