Edinburgh Fringe review by Alex Bruce

Michael Fabbri’s solid, confident hour essentially comprises very good material prevented from reaching greater heights by elements of extremity and confusion in its packaging that dampens a favourable audience response.

Rebooted relates to his decision to change his habits - mostly heavy drinking - to become a better, healthier example to his daughter.

Something Fabbri is particularly good at is brutal honesty, especially about how he and his partner bought their house and a great story about using medical trials to deceive his former employers at the Job Centre.

There’s a fantastic story of a confused, drunken night being locked out of his room in a German hotel. He mines this one for several minutes, making it a proper ‘bit’ and not merely a passing thought. Some anecdotes do smack of exaggeration, though if they are true, then he’s definitely correct that he used to drink too much.

Another strong suit for Fabbri is gross-out humour, even if many examples are almost too vivid and visceral. There’s badger fingering, vomit-in-hands, radiation poisoning and pulling babies out by their umbilical cords. 

There are a few walk-outs immediately after these moments. Fabbri is clearly very good at the extreme material, but at times does it coldly, making it come across as heartless.

There’s one other element of confusion in this show, which prevents great gags from always doing as well as they could. 

Much of the material relies on Fabbri’s portrayal of himself as an awkward, embarrassed beta male. However, that this is his self-image only becomes apparent through the gags. His appearance, tone and confidence are far more alpha. Many in the audience, rightly or wrongly, view him as one of the ‘geezers’ to whom he refers. 

Thus at times there’s the slightly surreal sensation of great material not sitting right, or landing where it could.

Rebooted is an hour of fluctuating strength as Fabbri slides from strong story, to weak ramble, and back again. The secret to his mostly

good material reaching its potential lies in properly clarifying his onstage persona.

Review date: 20 Aug 2019
Reviewed by: Alex Bruce
Reviewed at: Just the Tonic at Cabaret Voltaire