one4review | On 19, Aug 2018

Steve Bugeja is doing his 4th Edinburgh show and has been gathering a reputation, well justified in my opinion, as a comic who is going places, and this storytelling funny man also comes back, as the thread of this year’s show centres on a plane journey of returning from gigs in Japan.
Following the inevitable crowd work to warm up the audience, and loosen the chuckle muscles, Bugeja relates the story of getting a text from his long term girlfriend that on his return ‘they must talk’, never a good sign he muses and he still has a 13 hour flight to go.
With his funny storytelling skills to the fore he describes characters sitting near him, Japanese conveniences, lactose intolerance, a mind-bending trip to Copenhagen, how younger folk teach their elders about modern technology.
But the main thought process is about the forthcoming ‘conversation.’ The insights about his relationship, their meeting, his faults and the perceived lack of self-confidence is both self-deprecating, funny and had the crowd on-side with him, hanging out for the conclusion.
Bugeja is not a strutting laugh a minute comic, more a compelling nice guy albeit with his well-crafted piece of solid comedy writing one who should be encouraged.
****
Reviewed by Geoff
Just the Tonic Just the Fancy Room
15.30 to 16.30
Until 26th