Venue: The Lowry
Date Reviewed: 29th September, 2008

Can you imagine getting in the shower with the Almighty? Russell Howard can, and does so in just one of the many flights of surreal fancy which fill his latest comedy tour, ‘Dingledodies’.

Best known for BBC2’s Mock the Week, Howard is a rising talent and this is his third consecutive sell out tour. His theme on this tour is to celebrate the weird and the offbeat in everyday life, from the interactions of parents and children to the chance meetings of strangers on the streets. Unlike many current comedians his outlook is warm and optimistic which leads to a hugely enjoyable show.

The night starts with the support act, Steve Hall, who does his job with style, energising and exciting the audience ready for the main act.

Although a relatively new face on the comedy circuit, Hall is welcomed by the audience and leaves the stage to loud cheers and plenty of applause.

Following the interval, Russell graces the stage and it is non-stop for the next ninety minutes.He claims to have had 4 Red Bulls before the show, and it is easy to believe. His energy is almost visible as he dances from left to right and from one zany topic to another, via a constant outpouring of sublime silliness.

Much of his material covers life with his family, his mother and father and particularly his brother. Many of the stories, especially about being very young, are so believable that it is hard to tell what is carefully written comedy and what is pure anecdote. The result is a very personal show, as if the young comedian is telling you his life story over a pint in the pub, rather than delivering it to a packed auditorium.

The encore consists of Howard getting amongst the audience for a bit of a Q & A session. He warns us that this can get ‘a bit mental’ but I don’t think even he expects to end the night on his hands and knees, admitting defeat against the might of Salford, and crawling from the stage like a wounded slug.

Russell Howard is a young comedian in complete control of his craft, his audience via his finely tuned comedy senses. Funny, uplifting, and always charming, this is a show that everyone should see.

This current sell-out tour, runs until 3rd December, but if you can get a ticket, I urge you to do so!

Simply sublime!

-Calum Kerr

This entry was posted on Monday, September 29th, 2008 at 6:46 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.