one4review | On 10, Aug 2022

This vibrant and emotional show got the standing ovation it certainly deserved. Almost the whole audience waited around at the end to tell Ms Brasier how much they liked the show. It’s getting five stars in this review, and if it doesn’t in others, they must have seen a different show. You may require some tissues, but this show is worth it.

Ms Brasier is a musical theatre graduate, and she has a voice. She uses it in all sorts of ways, and sings in all sorts of styles, but when she sings for her brother it is simple and demonstrates more of her skill than all the others, and it is heartbreaking. She’s accompanied and supported and dueted with on stage by her life partner and straight man with the beautiful guitar, who, even after however many times they’ve performed the show, was still apparently genuinely laughing in places. They seem to properly like each other and they make for a delightful performance duo.

Technically the show’s great too. It’s coherent and the structure supports the narrative. There’s a cohesive throughline, and there’s a theme. Ms Brasier knows how to plot a story to hit the right beats, to move things along, to build up the tension, and has exquisite timing for delivering that punchline and release of tension. She gives a lot of herself throughout the show, emotions still clearly raw in parts, but without the lows there are no highs, and this show is a joyous, joyful embracing of life, despite those lows. Wonderful.

Reviewed by Laura

Assembly George Square
18:25 (not 16th)