3 stars
Sophia Wolbrom is going places. She may not have arrived yet in this sparky New Yorker’s debut show, but she’s getting there. Wolbrom’s autobiographical monologue charts her rites of passage, from musical loving weirdo kid growing up in straight laced Westchester, to where she is now, a real live performer doing her thing on the Fringe. Inbetween are everyday tales of rock school, summer camp and assorted detours inspired by friends, mentors and sheer determination to succeed.
It’s the sort of story that a million others in Edinburgh are living out right now in their own way, and perhaps Wolbrom’s tale should be used as a teach-in for similarly starstruck ingénues about to embark on the same road. Wolbrom is very much her own person here, however, and tells her story with a mix of intimacy and charm that draws you in to her world.
With direction by Kevin Qian for Wolbrom’s Know Smoke Events company, Wolbrom punctuates her story with snatches of songs old and new. From singing Janis Joplin at the behest of her dad, to putting her own numbers out in the world, Wolbrom is well on her way to whatever happens next.
Hoots Apex 2.20pm until 24 August
The List, August 2025
Ends
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