This was a hoot, even if it would have benefited from a timeslot later in the day than lunchtime – I like to think I’d have enjoyed it even more if I’d have had a few more beers than the zero I’d had before the curtain went up at 1:15pm. Georgina Thomas (here, pronounced ‘johr-JYE-nah’ – woe betide anyone who even thinks about saying ‘johr-gee-nah’), or at least this version of her, has the characteristics of the operatic ‘prima donna’. The idea that she has to audition at all for a part she wants is clearly displeasurable – though not utterly unacceptable: she agrees to it, and to the callback.
But it all gets increasingly hammy and increasingly absurd – Thomas is an actual classically-trained soprano, and so this isn’t a story about someone so deluded that they’re going for roles for which they are literally unsuited. Leaning into diva-ish stereotypes, the rivalry between her and fellow singer Antonella was palpable as she wrestles with her own demons, eventually seeking external assistance. A subplot about witchcraft is the perfect vehicle to channel an alternative voice, a harsh cackle contrasting well with the sublime opera vocal.
The comic timing is excellent in this captivating performance.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Some might call her a narcissist, but Georgina Thomas prefers the term “soprano”. In a plot reminiscent of an opera itself, Georgina visits an Old Witch to receive a spell that will make her the greatest soprano in the world – but not without consequences. Trapped in the echo chamber of her own vibrato, she spirals through delusion, existential crises and vocal gymnastics. The show is a gleeful dismantling of the operatic diva, taking the traditional context and giving it a completely unhinged modern comic twist with references to online culture and reality television, where ego is currency and perception is everything.
Writer and Performer – Georgina Thomas
Director – Will Jackson
Vocal Director and Soprano Consultant – Olivia Doutney-Joël
GEORGINA THOMAS: HYSTERICAL SOPRANO
Underbelly Bristo Square at the Edinburgh Fringe
5 to 31 August 2026
