Jamie D’Souza does not have any grand entrance to make or any loud method for starting his show, he simply walks out, introduces himself, and starts firing off his jokes. There’s no frills in this one; no props, slideshows, or elaborate storyline – it’s just one man and a microphone. His show is a lowkey one, and it doesn’t require much energy to pull off – that doesn’t mean it’s bad, not at all, his one liners are sharp and his observations are unique, you just wonder whether some added stage presence might have enhanced it.
He takes you through an ill-advised, self-proclaimed school nickname, Swiss Chocolate, pretentious wedding invitations, a ban from the Staines community Facebook group, The Duke of Edinburgh Award and Thorpe Park, among a sea of fruitful and personal material. It’s very funny, and his observations feel bitingly down-to-earth; he’s got a knack for taking everyday things and exposing them in all their very human absurdity. There is some material which could have done with a little refining, such as an aside about phone addiction, and a comparison of Italian and Indian cuisine, it felt as if there was something more there that he wasn’t quite getting at; and again, his stage presence and delivery felt a little too bland to make his show all that memorable.
That being said, his insights about the campnesss of West Ham fans and a racist dog with an incredible nickname, demonstrate a raw comedic talent and exuberant wit that just need a few tweaks to help them truly shine.
Jamie D’Souza: Brownie, 15.15, Just the Tonic, until August 25
