Brighton Fringe 2026
William Tell versus the Algorithm
Micahel Brunström
Genre: Clown, Comedy, Storytelling, Surrealism
Venue: WundaBarn at The Spiegel Gardens
Festival: Brighton Fringe
Low Down
A retelling of the legend of William Tell, with a twist. How can this medieval folk tale help us in our battle against the crushing forces of AI? Michael Brunström sets out to end tyranny and the Algorithm with his particular brand of high-concept surrealism and, by so doing, bring freedom to Switzerland. And yes, there is archery.
Review
As the Wunderbarn fills up, Michael greets us with welcoming quips, barely contained energy, and the rousing sound of the William Tell Overture. We take our seats in what is a very hot room. It’s roasting inside; even with one air conditioning unit running on max, it makes little difference to the room temperature. It is the hottest day of the year.
I wouldn’t normally comment on the weather in a review, but in this case, it does affect the show.
Michael is a bundle of barely contained energy. He is in constant motion, talking, waving, running around and delivering a wide variety of jokes, puns and quips. You can’t take your eyes off him; you don’t know what he is going to do next.
He opens with a health and safety briefing as the show contains archery! His tone and quips give us an idea of his style. It breaks the ice and initiates engagement with the audience.
The aim is to bring to life the wider story of William Tell and his battle against imperialist Austria, and particularly William’s battle with Albrecht Gessler, very much the villain of the piece. Oh, and there is a talking hat.
Parallels are drawn between Tell’s fight against tyranny and oppression and the social media-constructed domination of politics and identity.
All of this is delivered with frantic energy, verve and charm. We are engaged, attentive, and we join in at all the right points. At times, the show has a pantomime quality as we boo the villain and cheer the hero.
It is a testament to the performance that on such a hot day, when we could all have sat in a post-lunch stupor, slowly nodding off, we joined in so enthusiastically. As for Michael, he did well to maintain such high energy levels throughout.
Driving everything along is a rousing soundtrack, which neatly dovetails with the material. It is well planned. The only downside is that, at times, it is too loud. Whilst there was a microphone, its use was limited, mainly because of the frantic pace, the use of props, and audience interaction. This did mean that in sections, between the air-conditioning unit, the backing track and outside traffic, it could be hard to hear Michael. Despite these obstacles, the show goes on!
The show’s structure follows a three-act format, with a clear beginning, middle and end. This is about the only conventional thing. It allows us to make sense of everything that happens around it. Michael is clearly very bright and knows how to structure a show.
Through the use of props, gags, songs, dance, running, jumping, questions and cheering, we are led through organised chaos. There are many puns and jokes, some subtle and clever, others obvious and funny. It works; our attention is held.
In one section, Michael very cleverly creates division among the audience, making us take sides on something inconsequential. This directly reveals how social media whips us into a frenzy of binary oppositions, which lead us to devalue our ‘opponents’. But, because this is a comedy show, we are soon brought back together again.
It is impossible not to see the connection between William Tell’s fight and the modern struggle against technologically imposed oppression and tyranny.
At several points, Michael noted aloud, ‘This bit goes on too long.’ He was probably right, and a bit of editing would sharpen the show.
Finally, we arrive at the grand finale. Here, we are treated to a summary that drives home the message and leaves us with a sense of hope.
There is much to enjoy in William Tell versus the Algorithm. If you like clever, well-thought-out, chaotic comedy that teaches you something, then this may be the show for you. It was the show’s quality, together with the performer’s skill, that, despite the heat and noise, engaged our attention. Any issues that detracted from the show were related to the venue and weather rather than the performance. That tells you something important about the show’s merits.
