EDINBURGH 2023: Review: MICHELLE BRASIER: REFORM, Gilded Balloon Teviot, Dining Room

Have you ever used Marketplace to buy something? Have you ever been scammed by someone on there? Have you ever befriended the man who has scammed you, changing the course of your life for the next year? Michelle Brasier has, and she’s ready to talk (and sing!) about it. 

I must start by admitting that I am a realist at best, a cynic at worst. I am not the kind of person who sees the best in others - I’m the type who will immediately think that someone is trying to scam me the second I get a message request on social media. So, it was with a bit of my classic cynicism that I listened to Brasier’s story. 

Michelle Brasier: Reform tells the story of how Brasier sent 500 Australian dollars to a man over Marketplace to receive some exercise equipment (a Pilates reformer machine) and then did not receive anything in return. Once she tells him she’s going to the police, the man, Jacob, begins speaking to her, and that’s when things really start to get crazy. Even as someone who loves a good plot twist and is pretty good at guessing them, I was left in shock at many of the reveals, the story taking such wild turns that you truly do not know where you are going to end up.

Tim Lancaster and Jordan White are incredibly talented musicians who use their talents to blend perfectly with Brasier’s gorgeous voice, creating a lovely trio of three passionate people telling a story. Lancaster also plays Jacob and has perfect comedic timing, his purposefully monotonous comments contrasting wonderfully with Brasier’s enthusiasm. The songs are all absolute bangers, with not one of them being even slightly dislikable. They were the perfect length, had hilarious lyrics, and had fantastic melodies that are still stuck in my head (Please, put these on Spotify!). 

Ultimately, Michelle Brasier: Reform is a heartwarming and hilarious hour full of fantastic songs, and a sweet message that may have you looking at the world in a different light. It is brilliant from start to finish and leaves you with a bit of hope for the future that you may not have had before. 

Michelle Brasier: Reform runs at the Gilded Balloon Teviot, Dining Room at 19:00 from 12 to 27 August (no performance on 16 August).

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