As a committed Eurovision fan, Carys Should Be The UK’s Next Eurovision Entry should have been an irresistible proposition. Carys Jeffrey Evans certainly shares that affection for the contest, bringing genuine knowledge of its history and plenty of references that fellow Eurovision devotees will recognise.
Her premise is charming. This is essentially a one-woman campaign to persuade us – and hopefully the BBC – that she should represent the UK. There is also a sweet personal story behind that ambition, and Evans herself comes across as warm and likeable.
Unfortunately, the performance I saw struggled to make the concept work.
Projection was a significant problem. Without amplification, I frequently found myself leaning forward to catch what Evans was saying, inevitably making some of the comedy difficult to follow. Her singing voice also sounded strained, which presents a particular challenge for a show whose central concept is that its performer wants to sing for Britain at Eurovision.
More fundamentally, I was never quite sure how seriously I was supposed to take that ambition. Is Evans genuinely making her case, with comedy surrounding the campaign, or is the idea of her becoming the UK entrant itself part of the joke? The production never made the distinction clear enough for me, leaving both its humour and its more heartfelt moments struggling to land.
There is genuine affection for Eurovision here and an engaging performer at its centre. As someone firmly within its target audience, though, I left disappointed.
Carys Should Be The UK’s Next Eurovision Entry, 15:05, theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall – Theatre, until 22 August
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/carys-should-be-the-uk-s-next-eurovision-entry
