Sam began performing standup comedy at the famous Harold Park Hotel in 1996 when he was 16, getting his first paid work there at 17.
A finalist in the 1997 Comic of the Year Awards, he then moved to Bathurst to study Communications at Charles Sturt University. Here he ran ‘Comics Out West’, a comedy club playing throughout the central west of NSW, and also had a regular show on community radio station 2MCE.
Upon return to Sydney he became a state Raw Comedy finalist in 2003, and placed second in the national finals in 2004. He has been heard on TGI Fridays with Richard Glover (ABC 702) and on Triple J, including a regular spot on the breakfast show with Wil Anderson and Adam Spencer in 2004. Sam is a regular on Home Grown Humour, syndicated to radio stations across Australia.
Sam has written for Rove (Network Ten), The Mansion (Comedy Channel), The Big Bite (channel 7) and Newsworld (channel 7, pilot). His published books are “Sir Joshua and the Unprofessional Dragon” (Koala Books, 97), and “In Sarah’s Dreams” (ILTS Publishing, 05). His plays include the sell out “Great Library of Earth” (01, 02) which he also directed, and “Death’s Waiting Room” (02, 03, 05).
Sam set up comedy event company ‘A Mic in Hand’ with fellow comic Kent Valentine at The Friend in Hand Hotel, which built a reputation for being one of the best rooms in Australia. In 2005 he produced and performed in the MICF Show Mic in Transit, the Big Laugh Festival (Sydney), helped produce and appeared in the Sydney Comedy Underground DVD (commercial release) and was selected for a showcase Letterman audition at The Comedy Store.
Sam has enjoyed critical success with his live shows in both the Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festivals. He was nominated for Best Emerging Comic in Adelaide, and for Best Newcomer and The Piece of Wood Award in Melbourne, and also appeared in the Moosehead Benefit Night, in front of a 1500 strong crowd in the Melbourne Town Hall in 2006.
“ . His jokes are like ninjas quietly sneaking up on you.... undeniably funny.’” - Adelaide Advertiser
“Ingenious” - dB Magazine
“He makes it easy to laugh... an immensely likeable boyishness... his endearing meander earned well-deserved laughs” - Beat Magazine
“A comedic chameleon, Bowring works a concept over from every angle until it begs for mercy and the audience begs for more.” - Triple M |
