By Elyce Phillips 
With a string of award nominations to his name, James Acaster has spent the last few years building himself up as one of the young greats of the UK stand-up scene. He returns to MICF with Reset, a solidly funny new hour of absurdity, meandering reflection and self-loathing.
In Reset, Acaster explores the idea of having your time over again. Unless you’re utterly insufferable, chances are you have a fair few things you’d like to do differently, and Acaster too has his share of regrets. It’s a topic where a lesser talent could be become bogged down in negativity, however, the material is handled deftly.
Acaster is a master of deadpan silliness, delivering bizarre stories with a facade of complete honesty that almost has you believing his flights of fancy. A lengthy piece about his work at a dodgy honey company was particularly wonderful. The tall tales bring a fresh edge to Acaster’s stand-up – the delivery is familiar but the content is not.
Unfortunately on the night I attended, the show got derailed by heckling. Acaster dealt with the offending parties admirably – in fact he perhaps got some of the biggest laughs of the night by putting the interrupters in their place – but the timing of it upset the flow of the final moments of the show. A story that was building up to a grand finale fizzled somewhat, disrupted at multiple points. Acaster was visibly annoyed, and fair enough. It put a dampener on the show, however, this is one to chalk up to a Tightarse Tuesday crowd and drunkenness, and is no reflection on Acaster’s material.
Acaster further establishes himself as a powerhouse of stand-up with Reset. It’s a strong, well-structured show that deserves a good audience.
James Acaster – Reset is on at Melbourne Town Hall until April 17
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/reset-james-acaster