Michael Fabbri: Rebooted
A man resetting himself but consolidating his fine comedy product
Perhaps because he's a veteran of the UK comedy circuit, there's never much of a Fringe buzz around Michael Fabbri. But that multi-year experience is gathered up here in an hour that is slickly performed while giving off the veneer of a semi-amateur who could mess up at any given moment. There is some tech business in his show which does go wrong today (the first time during the run, he claims), but it only adds to the charm he generates and the warmth that has piled up around him in this long and narrow room.
The material and subject matter are never less than intriguing as he does everything in his power not to land on anything remotely clichéd. So he ponders over whether you're more or less likely to meet a posh plumber or a regional-accented pilot, and reflects on that time when he was sitting on a train looking very out of place amongst a gang of loud and scary lads. Allowing his imagination to get the better of him, he began fantasising whether it might appear to onlookers as though he could be their leader.
Ostensibly, this show is about Fabbri totally rebooting himself now that he's a dad, but wondering whether it's even possible. You hope that he doesn't dilute his comedy, especially when he has set-piece routines about a neighbour who regularly pleasures himself thinking that no one can see (Fabbri and his wife can) and great lines about tennis world rankings and Chernobyl.
Laughing Horse @ Cabaret Voltaire, until 25 Aug, 3.30pm, donations at the venue.