Reviewed by Rachel Meng
The world is highly divided and full of things that could go wrong, but “Cancer?! I Hardly Know Her!” is not one of them. Jamie Campbell could have succumbed to fear after his colon cancer diagnosis, yet turned to comedy with his honest and optimistic approach to life. Campbell resembled Mister Rogers by beginning and ending his show with a song, effectively connecting to the audience through something already familiar to them. Similarly to a children’s show there were interactive bits and a set design resembling a living room, playing on both nostalgia and a well established trope.
Campbell didn’t let cancer stop him, inspiring the audience to not let their fear stop them. The stand up set touched on his health as well as his upbringing and his views on the world. To help break up the comedy set from just being talked at, he separated the show into sections, doing some crowd work and including a “joke tree,” where the audience got to be a part of the set. The show left people feeling inspired to connect to one another and act with kindness. With the major themes of togetherness and compromise, Campbell invites the audience to let go of their worries and come with their best jokes!
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