Russell Howard: Don’t Tell The Algorithm

He's doing comedy & people love it,

Now the first thing about reviews, this reviewer reckons, is that you should try your best to give an honest representation of your experience of the show but also a general overview of what you saw. Sometimes you might witness something that isn’t truly for you but you must sort of try and address that in the write up. For example, I don’t really speak French, but if I saw a show in French and it went well, can I really say, 'this show isn’t good' if I did not understand it? Anyway with all that being said, technically, have I actually seen this show, no. But I can confirm people really like it.

Review date: 20 Feb 2026
Reviewed by: Mr Bags
Reviewed at: Soho Theatre

Full disclosure, I haven't seen this show either but, in my defence it also doesn’t exist, as I’ve made it up in my head, which ironically is exactly what the comedian would do if she had made the show in the first place. 

Anyway Millican scored from two trademark jokes to beat the 200+ seater audience of the Southampton Guildhall to regain her five-point lead at the top of the Comedy League.

Widdicombe had heaped pressure on the Milly by cutting her set to two 60 minute sections with a brilliant cheeky move in rival town Portsmouth on the previous evening. .

But after a cagey start with few laughs, Sarah opened the barricades in the 21st minute when seven audience members had to leave due to laughing as one person described: ‘too much’.

Back of the Laugh!

Review date: 20 Feb 2026
Reviewed by: Sister Polencar
Reviewed at: Southampton Guildhall (in my head)

This might have been a work in progress but there were many laughs in procession during this work in progress for this reviewer to process.

Overman seamlessly works the room and make loads of laughs happen with jokes about herself but also people that she knows and also things.

You should definitely keep an eye on this rising star who's also recently been on Channel 4 (a television channel).

Review date: 7 Feb 2026
Reviewed by: Mr Bags
Reviewed at: Hive & Honey

Like a fat pigeon on a race track, the ragged young Brice comes swinging out with hard hitting hilarious humongous gags inter-spliced with crowd work galore.

If there's one word to describe this mannered person, it would have to be Ali Brice. 

But while he has a juvenile outlook, he has a grown-up body, and loves nothing more than using that body to both hold the microphone AND point at audience members (sometimes both at the same time (maybe he isn't a pigeon after all)).

No, with Brice the emphasis is firmly on fun. Whether it's discussing cleaning his dog or storming off on one from something a man, woman, person or child said in the crowd, whatever happens it yields a great line.

Fly little bird man, fly.

Review date: 21 Feb 2026
Reviewed by: Keith Cant
Reviewed at: Guild Hall - Mayor Parlour

More like John Robertson has left the big light on!

When this reviewer walked in the first thing this reviewer thought is... hmm this isn't very dark is it? There is or are too many lights, there are simply too many lights on in here. Light Lights Light Light everywhere..but will they ever go out? I hate to fixate on the lights but if you advertise a show as a “Dark Room” there should simply be that: Darkness and, at least hopefully, a room. But this show only had one of those things: a room, and, lots of light! It really did start to irk me and it’s the sort of thing that I might expect from an Ian Smith show and then I thought.. are they just trying to do an Ian Smith here, that’s quite unoriginal?! However all this being said once the performance begun it did go dark and it is a very good show.

Review date: 21 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Dr. Hand
Reviewed at: Gilded Balloon - Patter House

Although the noise bleed from a man who claims to be dead was very loud it didn’t distract me from this show, that same show that I am writing about right now. Jamie has a great show here and is a very relaxed performer which is refreshing in a landscape/fill of ever increasing comedians. Speaking of which it was nice to hear inside this show that D’Souza is friends with some comedians; this reviewer often wonders if comedians ever socialise with each other or humans  so it was reassuring to know he (in this case) does. I look forward to seeing what other great stuff Jamie comes up with in the old future.

Review date: 6 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Alan Spheres
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel (Cabaret Voltaire)

Whistle while you work, those are the words of those seven little dwarves, whistling along to a tune so ingrained in our psyche it makes you wonder if they were even whistling at all, seven dwarves, seven mouths, seven whistles, what a world. Now this comedian didn’t whistle once twice or seven times during their show, they just did jokes and it was laughed upon many a time, they even got a harp out.. and spoons, only one each, one per mouth. Very good stuff. Right I’m off to work.

Review date: 22 Feb 2026
Reviewed by: Tracey Beaker
Reviewed at: Duffy's Bar

First things, first, there is almost no money in this show, in fact there was no money, just gags and bits and very very short videos. In one such video the performer seemed to scrape his knees open, it was horrific, and that’s comedy is it? Is this what we are laughing at now? I looked around at the room howling and couldn’t believe it. The man has possibly had a serious accident with his knee caps and we are laughing. It’s very different when someone’s Dad dies for example and it’s used to create a soft and poetic energy that this particular reviewer likes and thinks is good, but a man and his bloody knee caps, I feel we have reached the end. No, the bottom of the barrel.. which obviously has no monkey in it.. OR MONEY!! It is no wonder Sky decided to bin this stupid man’s police programme into a barrel. If I could shake my head again I would. Stupid man.

Review date: 18 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Keith Cant
Reviewed at: Just the Tonic, The Caves -  Just the Big Room

Pretty late to the party on this one and at the end of the day have I really seen it no, but I saw it was on you tube so I skimmed through it and didn’t like it and then there was a bit when the audience sort of screamed in that American way they seem to do and I skipped it on and they screamed again and it all felt a bit like a teenage pop concert which probably isn’t for me really as I am old and jaded and like to look at things like rocks and concrete which are also old and jaded. Also I haven’t had tea yet so maybe I am being a bit cynical.

Review date: 16 Sep 2022
Reviewed by: Stan Hat
Reviewed at: York Barbican ( but actually YouTube)