12/08/22

Gilded Balloon (Patter Hoose), Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Kylie Brakeman hits the modestly-sized stage of the Patter Hoose like an unstoppable force. 

She’s in character as Linda Hollywood, a venal, self-aggrandising (and ultimately deluded) talent agent, ready to dish the dirt on current clients and always on the lookout for fresh meat. This is her seminar on how to succeed in the town that’s named after her. Wait till you hear about her plans for the relaunch of “Harry Potter’s assistant,” Rupert Grint!

Brakeman throws other characters into the mix, barely stopping to take a breath. A six-year-old stand-up? Yes! A sex therapist who speaks in a series of euphemisms? Right here! And now Linda’s back to direct a guy she’s randomly selected from the audience through his ’screen career,’ from entry level Doritos advert to Oscar winning triumph and beyond – in just five minutes!

Making her Edinburgh Fringe debut, Brakeman delivers her cleverly scripted lines with consummate skill, and the whip-smart, snarky one-liners flow like honey laced with vinegar. It’s more than just a series of laughs. It also nails the cynicism and hypocrisy of the movie industry with deadly precision.

I leave convinced that Brakeman (already a major name online, with over sixty million views) is destined to play much bigger venues than this one. 

So catch her superb show now in the intimate setting of The Gilded Balloon. Who knows? You could be Linda Hollywood’s next big thing!

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney