Having taken his debut hour to the Edinburgh Fringe at the tender age of 19, Elliot Steel is a comic experienced well beyond his years. Evidence of this can be seen throughout Soft Boi Core, especially in the now 28-year-old’s ability to masterfully build and defuse tension without approaching people-pleasing tactics. Steel dances with controversy, often chasing the thrill of losing his room before gaining their approval with his sharp writing and ultimately liberal views. Positioning himself as a left-leaning outsider, he pokes fun at both ends of the political spectrum when dissecting everything from culture wars to antisemitism.

While he gracefully lands the majority of these hairy jokes, his bits on feminism and trans women are less acutely observed. However, it’s the tender central story of this hour that wins us all back as his hyper masculine façade begins to crumble in the final act. It becomes clear that Steel knows exactly how he wants to be perceived: as a self-aware lad’s lad who is softer on the inside than his MMA-fighting, South London identity would have us believe. By the end, he successfully convinces us of this multi-faceted nature and his humanity, flaws and all.

Elliot Steel: Soft Boi Core, Underbelly Bristo Square, until 25 August, 9.45pm.