★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Reluctant Millennial sadly isn't an example of Tom at the top of his game.
After a sell-out debut and extra shows, Tom Lucy returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Reluctant Millennial. Unfortunately his difficult second album.
Opening the show by showing the Sky News interview in which Tom throws shade at the presenter Stephen Dixon for introducing him with the sentence "Everyone who thinks they are a comedian is normally rubbish" was unfortunate.
I really wanted Tom to come out (not like that, he already addresses that he's straight and camp at the top of his show) and prove that he wasn't rubbish. Whilst it would be unfair and inaccurate to call Tom rubbish, Reluctant Millennial sadly isn't an example of Tom at the top of his game.
When the jokes don't land the way he had hoped, Tom has a tendency to blame the audience, who for the large part were unwilling to engage despite his persistence. His over-reliance on a man in the front row as the punchline to his jokes, no matter what they were about, weared thin and Tom should have known at the start after he gave a one-word answer that he wouldn't be the best person to keep returning to.
It wasn't all awkward jokes and silences, there were a couple of moments where Tom shone. Some jokes landed really well and spoke to me as a reluctant millennial myself. Highlights included a well-observed routine about online dating and a woman called Karen, a hilarious anecdote about the way in which mums (in particular his) use Facebook and a truthful observation about vloggers who love to Juice.
Unfortunately these jokes were few and far between and didn't sustain for the hour. Tom would have benefited from a show that was better-structured, with a coherent narrative and consistent jokes.
Tom's not the first comedian to struggle with their second show and sadly won't be the last. I understand it's difficult. Often you spend your life working up to and writing your first show and only a number of months to write your second.
Whenever Tom decides to return with his third show, I have no doubt that he'll be back at the top where he belongs because he oozes charm and charisma but at the moment lacks the material. But it's fine, who remembers second albums anyway?
Tom Lucy: Reluctant Millennial runs until 26th August at 8:15pm at the Pleasance Courtyard (The Attic). Book tickets here.
(This review was based on the performance from Wednesday 15th August 2018)