Millennials. Renowned for eating avocado toast, working in a gig economy, and renting houses forever. Accused of being too sensitive, too “politically correct”, and too self-absorbed. It’s a multifaceted, contentious topic, and one that Tom Lucy is brave to tackle in just an hour – especially when his audience is comprised of boomers, gen Xers, millennials, and even the occasional gen Z.
Lucy’s show mainly consists of him discussing the difference between generations – Tinder and Uber are frequently brought up – and how he feels about adulthood in general. The structure is there, and most of the anecdotes lead on fairly seamlessly from each other. It’s a fun hour that plays it relatively safe; in this charged political environment, that might be a relief to some viewers, especially if they’ve seen some of more earnest things that the Fringe has to offer. However, by touching on the more serious aspects of growing up and trying to “adult” in a world where uncertainty is the buzzword, he shows insight which would be nice to expand on, instead of just moving on to more lighthearted topics.
The best moments in the show are when he’s riffing off members of the audience (those in the front row, beware!). This is when Lucy manages to really exploit his excellent ad lib skills and charisma – he chats to us like we’re old friends, going off on tangents (“comedy cul-de-sacs”, he explains), and then bringing us back in an expert manner. It’s almost more fun than his pre-planned material.
Reluctant Millennial isn’t a deep exploration into the generation it’s named after – it’s more about Lucy and his experiences, with a few musings on what it means to be a Millennial added to the mix. But Lucy is such a natural onstage, as well as being a genuinely likeable guy, that it’s very enjoyable to watch either way.