So, funny story: we originally had tickets to see this musical clown at the Brighton Fringe, but thanks to a string of fairly bizarre circumstances we couldn’t make it. Instead, we dispatched a Spanish pal in our place, who bravely sent us our first-ever voice note review.

To make up for this fiasco, we promised Amy Webber we’d catch her Edinburgh Fringe show at Just the Tonic later that year… which was in 2023. Fast forward through a year of clashing schedules and thwarted attempts, and here we finally are in 2025, queuing outside Just the Tonic and living up to our word. Better late than never, eh?

Amy is an incredibly talented clown. Her show riffs on the naïve love songs she wrote as a teenager, which she now performs in her “grown-up” professional singer capacity – though the spelling mistakes remain intact. She’s got a voice that demands to be heard: the operatic flourishes are genuinely stunning, and her pop persona could easily out-sing most late-90s/early-00s chart fodder (yes, Ginger, Posh and Baby, we’re looking at you).

As she raids through her childhood junk box of diaries and fledgling lyrics and poetry, the show takes the form of a career mockumentary as told by a fame-hungry wannabe, though for all her self-deprecation it’s impossible to treat Webber’s training – which includes classical singing lessons and an opera degree – as a joke, because her voice is just too good. So while this might not be the funniest comedy show you’ll catch this year, it’s certainly very enjoyable. Even the audience participation, which she handles with a gentle touch, feels part of the fun.

A proper feel-good hour – and not just because we finally kept our promise.

Clown Stars: * * *

@Just The Tonic at The Caves – Edinburgh

You can find more information about this clown and her future shows at amywebber.co.uk