12/08/25

Gilded Balloon at the Museum (Auditorium), Edinburgh

Ah, who doesn’t dread a wee-hours-of-the-morning shame spiral? It turns out that even the uber-confident Michelle Brasier has to deal with these joy-sapping tummy-churners. Yes, that’s right: the bold, brash, in-yer-face Aussie, who struts about the stage like she couldn’t give a flying fuck, even she lies awake wincing with embarrassment, remembering old slights, reliving awkward encounters. But, unlike most of us, Brasier decides to tackle them head-on.

The title of the show refers to something a mate said to her at the end of Year 6. Clearly, it resonated, making her second-guess herself for years, wondering what was wrong with her. I’m guessing Brasier is popular IRL: she comes across as warm and funny, open and engaging. But still, that comment niggled, chipping away at her self-esteem.

It’s a Shame We Won’t Be Friends Next Year is a gentler affair than last year’s Legacy and, to our great delight, this venue has much better sound. This really matters: we get to hear the full range of her impressive singing voice and can also discern most of what she says (her speaking rate still clocks in at a gazillion words per minute). IASWWBFNY is a nostalgic show, looking back at the hurtful moments that shaped her: that offhand remark from a primary school pal; a scathing comment from an industry snob; a brutal review from a snippy critic. Brasier decides to track them all down and demand answers.

With musical support from her partner, Tim Lancaster, the show is cleverly-crafted, as poignant as it is hilarious. And it’s not all about the bad stuff: there’s a lot here about the positive differences people can make, most notably the high-school drama teacher, who provided a safe space for her and other “freaks”, telling Brasier that she could fly and opening the window to a wider world. The standout for me is a song about her schoolfriend Sally, which makes me cry. Sensibly, there are no jokes in this section, just a beautiful reminder of why we need to “stand up for the dolls”.

Part self-reflection, part-eulogy to that drama teacher, IASWWBFNY is a memorable and thought-provoking hour of musical stand-up. And you’ll learn more about The Fast and the Furious franchise than you ever wanted to.

2 stars (just kidding)

4.5 stars

Susan Singfield