Sunday was ladies day, not that I planned it like that, but casting an eye over my Fringe calendar I realised I had three one woman shows in a row (hmmm, another trio)…

I had Motorhome Marilyn as a possibility but really wasn’t sure, until Gilded Balloon once again had their Locals offer, yay. I was intrigued, it’s always interesting when someone so well-known from the telly comes to the Fringe. I mean, why? Will they feel very exposed in a small venue with the audience up so very close? What were they expecting? Is it a lifelong dream they’ve finally gotten to do?

Wow, Motorhome Marilyn is great, Michelle Collins plays a Marilyn Munro impersonator, getting on a bit, realising it’ll never get any better, especially with her past catching up to her. She may be in Vegas but she’s still a Southend girl and a survivor, with a snake called Bobby for company; we’re listening in as she tells the snake all her dreams and darkest secrets. Collins’ voice rings perfect in this, but then it was she who came up with the original idea and the part was written for her; of course, that’s not to say it would necessarily be any good, but by’eck, it bloody is!!

Motorhome Marilyn is a duck with the eye in the right place (to paraphase David Lynch) – it’s funny, it’s dark, it’s poignant, it’s sharp. And what a set, the motorhome interior is so well realised. It was a feast for the eyes with all the kitsch Marilyn Munro paraphernalia. Collins sashays through the story and gets to sing too (with a couple of costume changes thrown in); with a wonderful script to work with, Collins brings out Denise’s vulnerabilities as she lives defiantly independently, oh, and there’s the odd interesting reveal about Denise along the way! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl was previously performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2015, writer/performer Rebecca Perry has brought it back for tenth anniversary run and why not? It’s a funny, playful hour’s escape. Our barista, Joanie, (like many others who work in coffeeshops) is a graduate hoping for better, wanting to use that degree in Anthropology, wanting to be like her hero Jane Goodall. We hear about life at the coffeeshop, her daydreams, her crush!

She’s a joyful soul, happy to burst into song (like musical interludes to gently break up the monologue), and what a voice! Of course, it had to be in there, Black Coffee (no, not the All Saints song, the one written back in 1948), a favourite of mine and boy, she did it justice, wowzah! Like I said, a sweet, joyful hour ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve saved the best for last, The Other Mozart, an incredible production about the life of Mozart’s older sister, Maria. I wasn’t even aware he had one, nevermind that she too was a brilliant musician and composer, were you? Sylvia Milo became aware of her existence and created this work so that others could know about this extraordinary woman. And wow, I was blown away by it all; first off, the incredible dress that covers the stage, the music (new compositions for the show and music from the time period), the lighting and sound, all perfectly complimented and brought a deeper richness to the performance and story.

Maria tells us about her life from before her little brother was born, how the two of them toured and performed across Europe with their father whilst quite young, but then societal mores saw her left behind, expected to be respectable and marry. Sylvia Milo shares the part of Maria with Daniella Galli (who I saw in the role), alternating days, well, at seventy five minutes long, solo on stage, it makes sense! Not that it felt that long, Maria’s life was so fascinating (the play uses historical facts, and letters sent between the family); Galli was stunning in the role, really bringing it to life. Probably one of the best things I’ll get to see this Fringe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💛