Takashi Wakasugi @ Assembly George Square Studios

Welcome to Japan is a frantic but enjoyable hour of scattershot comedy. Assisted greatly by Takashi Wakasugi’s affable and curious nature, punchlines that overstay their welcome are elevated by the comic’s idiosyncratic performance style. The ‘tap the mic’ response to low laughs is used with such sincere aplomb that the audience might think he actually believes it isn’t working. His exasperation toward the English language has him asking the audience to ‘use [their] brain more’ on more than one occasion, such that it could be mistaken for genuine contempt.

Wakasugi’s set covers topics such as paying for public transport, in a bit which may fly Down Under, but stumbles slightly with a predominantly Scottish and British audience. The unevenness of the hour evokes more of a WIP mise en scène than that of a completed show, though Wakasugi naturally nurtures endorsement from the audience. He has a naturally funny stage presence, and his willingness to embody both overt politeness and, conversely, be almost suggestive with audience members is flinch-inducing but very entertaining.

This audience advocacy pays dividends during the show’s strongest moments: a ‘haikus in English’ PowerPoint bit soars, yielding the biggest audience laughs of the night. It is in these interactions that Wakasugi seems a cut above, asking questions of the audience at every turn as he ponders cultural and linguistic differences experienced as a Japanese transplant in Australia.

All of Wakasugi’s material feels funny, but rarely breaks deeper than surface level; his humorous conflation of class with the reheating of pizza embodies this frustration. Wakasugi’s singular stagecraft and ethos is enough to fill the room alone, but a more shored-up set would stand to capitalise on an evident capability and persona.

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Takashi Wakasugi: Welcome to Japan, Assembly George Square Studios (Studio Four), until 25 Aug (not 13), 9.20pm, £7.50-12