Multi-award-winning Nic Sampson is a former teen actor who has gone on to have an incredibly rewarding and successful career in TV, theatre, and comedy. The premise of his latest Edinburgh Fringe show is a pretty simple one: what if, instead of all that, Nic’s career was stuck in the past? What if Nic still pined for 2006, back when he was Chip Thorn, the Yellow Mystic Ranger on Power Rangers Mystic Force?

This is splendidly done and shockingly funny self-parody. As the show begins, the stage is set with Nic signing autographs, waiting for his fellow former Power Rangers to join him in a comic-con-style reunion show. Nic explains that he was on Power Rangers during its best run (Season Fourteen, of course) and tells us how much better his life is now. Heck, he still fits into the helmet.

This is superbly performed comic storytelling, an ego-deflating look at show business that sometimes feels all too real. Nic frequently dives into cartoon-like skits, turning his own story into a sit-com-style comedy of errors. At times, it feels like a bit of a comedy exorcism, as if by creating this tragic alter-ego, he’s banishing some sort of spirit of failure. Certainly, it seems to work; Nic is brilliantly funny, engaging and sympathetic throughout. Anyone who’s ever worked at a geeky convention will find a thread of humour that feels all too real.
Self-parody is a hard thing to do; go too deep, and you’re just hurting your ego and alienating the audience. Don’t go deep enough, and it becomes as awkward as a teenager trying to invent their own nickname.  Sampson treads the line perfectly; the show is as much a commentary on the nostalgia industry.

This is a treat for Power Rangers fans, obviously, but also likely to delight anyone who likes wacky showbiz tales and well-done comic-style silliness. An incredible talent. Go Go, Nic Sampson, you Mighty Comedy Power Actor.

You can book tickets here and find out more Nic here.