one4review | On 11, Aug 2025

Holly Spillar has brilliant musical skills, a lovely singing voice, and a fairly one-of-a-kind vibe about her delivery. This isn’t a show of huge belly laughs, but it is a quietly good time, and was met with a warm and appreciative round of applause at the end. Holly juxtaposes the professional art career simply gifted to the child of a billionaire, with the work required to bring Holly herself to the point where she can present her own art at the Fringe. Holly points to the negatives in both, but the money does provide the luxury of real choice, rather than the least bad option out of necessity.

The presentation and performance of the show is superb; the substance is ethereal, tissue-thin. Holly definitely has something to say and a story to tell, but given the circumstances of the show coming to the Fringe, it feels a little like a choice had to be made between developing thesis or performance. It would be great to see this show given the space to develop the thesis and the substance to its full potential.

Holly’s got a lyricism and poetry about her that isn’t just reserved for the songs, a way of describing things that’s as evocative as it is unexpected. Her music comes in a variety of styles, chosen to fit the subject. She matches the presence of a nebulous, NDA-restricted subject of the show with a wrath-like, elusive presentation. Lovely show, and one to watch.

Reviewed by Laura
17:45 (1 hr)
Underbelly Bristo Square (Dexter)
Until 24th