Men’s wellbeing is a major theme at this year’s Fringe, with many shows exploring different aspects of the topic, from therapy and anxiety to self-improvement and mental health. In Lucas’ debut hour at the Fringe delves into 25 years of experience and trauma to bring some interesting topics to light.

Lucas delves into insecurities as a male, being bullied by other people that are ginger, football, AI and even a mention of Brexit. He wants to challenge masculinity with his stand up and talks about a lot of topics about his personal life and experience.

There are some fun jokes about using a checkout machine in Tesco as a therapy machine, following the crowd and being mugged.

One section centres on the idea that people disliked him so much they learned improv just to spite him. Improvisation is often used as an easy punchline in television and comedy and here it is treated in much the same way. A lengthy segment is devoted to mocking improvisers, and while there has always been a playful rivalry between stand-ups and improvisers, branding them all as paedophiles simply to land a joke didn’t sit well with me. In fact it angered me.

People from all walks of life take part in improv and reducing an entire community to that label because of one negative personal experience that isn’t even relevant is deeply unfair. It felt like an unnecessary and lazy stereotype rather than a genuinely funny or insightful piece of comedy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an isolated joke either. The theme continues throughout the show, with almost every mention of paedophiles being accompanied by another dig at improvisers. What may have been intended as a running gag quickly became repetitive, relying on shock value rather than wit and ultimately undermined the stronger moments of the performance.

As someone who runs a website dedicated to highlighting improv and the hundreds of people around the world who perform, produce, teach, and support it (whether on stage, as part of a group, or behind the scenes) I found this section particularly disappointing. I fully appreciate that improv is not for everyone and I understand why it can divide opinion. However, it’s worth remembering that improvisation is a valuable skill used by comedians, actors and performers alike to improve their stagecraft, auditions and ability to connect with audiences both online and in person.

I also understand the nature of comedy. I review enough stand-up shows each year to know that not every joke or topic will appeal to everyone and I’m not expecting every comedian to cater to my tastes. That said, there is a difference between making an edgy joke and relying on harmful stereotypes for an easy laugh. Labelling an entire community of performers as paedophiles isn’t clever satire or sharp observational comedy.It feels lazy, needlessly offensive and out of step with the kind of thoughtful comedy audiences increasingly appreciate today.

Lucas is good at interacting with the audience, and there are some witty jokes scattered throughout. There are parts that work well with the audience but I felt that some sections that were less effective and at times borderline offensive.

Rating: ** 2 stars

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