Amy Webber review: Confident and inviting, a musical comedian with wide appeal
Amy Webber wants a job. She’s got a driver’s license, bronze Duke of Edinburgh, a recent DBS check and she’s never been in trouble with the police. No Previous Experience is her CV in the form of a musical comedy show.
It’s a strong conceit for a show, and one that allows her to ably tie together a lot of different threads, from her childhood collecting beanie babies in Japan to her experiences trying to find the right therapist (which she so thoughtfully bestows upon an audience member somewhat unwillingly sent up on stage by his dad).
She’s a casual virtuoso: Keyboard slung over one shoulder, and a very blasé introduction to her prowess as a trained opera singer, she couldn’t be more inviting. Watching both Amy and my fellow audience members, it’s clear that here is a comedian with wide appeal, and a kind of rare calm confidence to her presence in the room that hits just the right note. She’s entirely unaffected.
There’s a song for every occasion, whether that’s an abridged lesson in the musical history of love songs that spans Gregorian chants and Olivia Rodrigo, or a semi on-the-spot funeral song for audience member Harry who claims he wants to die in a coffin (as in he wants to be alive when he gets in there and then die— terrifying energy from Harry there). It all feels acutely practiced and perfected: none of the songs drag and no ground is retrodden unnecessarily.
There is so much more to enjoy from Amy’s 45 minute show, but the main takeaway is that you want to spend even more time with her. She’s obviously got more up her sleeve, and I’m excited to see what she brings to the Fringe next year. If no one has employed her before then…
Amy Webber: No Previous Experience is at Just the Tonic: Mash House at 2:40pm, until August 27th. Tickets here.
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