Stars has a good bit of originality in her writing, but the structure needs some more thought
Seasoned comedian and writer Holly Stars brings her new stand-up hour to Fringe – against all odds, as she was just apprehended at the local Superdrug for attempting to make off with some rather fancy lipstick. Over the hour, Stars acquaints us with her small Northern town, the characters that live in it, and what she’s had to do in order to survive them. Unfortunately, at times it feels like all Stars is trying to survive is the next punchline.
Stars has brilliant timing, but the delivery doesn’t quite match the punch of her dirty one-liners. Pair this with an early evening slot, and a venue that Stars seems to drown in, and I feel I’m watching a rather lukewarm drag act. Stars’ character work is strong, and the attempts at crowd work are well-meaning, but some of the jokes veer a bit too close to the stereotypical.
Not every show has to have an emotional undertone, but as Stars veers off the piece into a rambling story that has a questionable climax, I have to draw the conclusion that some of the jokes don’t come across as strong enough to stand on their own. I was able to see that Star has a good bit of originality in her writing, but the structure needs some more thought. Stars has made a great start – a unique set of characters and a personable comedy style now just need to be backed up by a tighter narrative.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/holly-stars-justice-for-holly