Our review of Superstar

Nicola Wren is a superstar in the making

Kitty, October 29th, 2019
5/5

Touching, hilarious, relatable.

An unmissable show that rings true for anyone whoes ever felt the weight of being one of many siblings.

The Martin family of Exeter, Devon already have one superstar in the family, but it looks like that is about to change as Nicola Wren, youngest sister of the brood, strikes out on her own in her charming and hilarious one-woman show that explores how one can measure success when your older brother is one of the world's most famous people.

Now showing at the Southwark Playhouse until December 21st, this Edinburgh Fringe sell-out takes us on Nicola's journey, from discovering her love of performing, to shaking off the family name to find her own path. Far from being a wild ride of celebrity excess, Wren has created a touching and relatable show that rings true for anyone whose ever felt the weight of being one of many siblings, and the expectations we put on ourselves to stand out.

Self-deprecating with a clear talent for humour and observation, Wren is an excitable bubble of emotion, veering from delivering hysterical anecdotes of her past acting triumphs (notably as a Liverpudlian mole in Wind in the Willows aged 7) to darker moments of desperation in the face of family troubles and struggles with self-confidence. Throughout it all, she stays true to her vision to become a superstar. But by the end, her definition of the word changes as she comes to realise that success comes in many forms, but the most important thing is discovering by and for yourself. With a lick of Fleabag and the likability of Amazon Prime's Mrs Maisel (of Marvelous fame), it looks like this Wren is set to fly high.