Glitter, resentment and “mommy complexes”; Party girl tells the story of Fairy Sprinkles, a children’s party entertainer who struggles through class and family differences. The rock’n’roll monologue/musical comes from Australia and is based on author Lucy Heffernan’s time as a party fairy. Phoebe Baker Reviews Party girl at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024.

Edinburgh Fringe Review: Party girl

At its core, this is a production about faith. How do you get others – in this case children – to believe in you when you no longer believe in yourself? Fairy Sprinkles, a children’s party entertainer, becomes a beacon for the next generation despite her own darker childhood in a dazzling show by Lucy Heffernan. In this contradiction lies the magic of this Edinburgh Fringe show.

Set in a gig theater, viewers are invited to accompany Lucy – also known as Fairy Sprinkles or Party Fairy – to learn the craft firsthand and what it means to be a party entertainer. We are taken on a journey to each party Sprinkles goes to and learn the many rules of the craft – such as never telling them your name (the character’s name is never revealed to us either). We watch her struggle with class differences at some of the wealthier society’s parties, and at each point we see her relationship with her mother develop, which ultimately gives way to the heart of this story.

The soundtrack creates a comic contrast. Fairy Sprinkles – the typical party entertainer full of whimsy and magic for all children – is surprisingly effectively juxtaposed with hard grunge rock songs. Heffernan has a beautiful voice and switches effortlessly between genres such as rock and rap.

It’s worth noting: Heffernan is an exceptional performer with an incredible ability to put her audience at ease – and she does it with skill. That’s what you need for a one-person show; this story invites you into a particularly personal story, but she has real skill at making viewers feel safe and comfortable.

Still, there were moments during the performance when I felt lost in her story. Trying to link events together to create a bigger picture—Fairy Sprinkles’ narrative often seemed detached and had no obvious anchor point—was an undertaking. But that may have been a matter of interpretation; a lack of connectivity may have signaled the fragmentary way in which parental trauma is passed on to the next generation.

Party girl is an addictive production, her charisma carries you through, she hangs on every word, but I left the show with more questions than answers. Nevertheless, Fairy Sprinkle’s tragic childhood has parallels to well-known rock songs of the 80s and creates a disturbing yet cheerful atmosphere – which is maintained exceptionally well by the performer and which makes you think. A strong recommendation for this year’s Fringe.

You can catch Party girl until 26 August at the Summerhall. Tickets are available Here via the Edinburgh Fringe website.