And so we reach the end of Brighton Fringe 2018 and the Broadway Bobby Award to the Outstanding Show of the Fringe. Each year Broadway Baby presents an award to the show that has, in the eyes of our editorial team, been the stand-out show at the Fringe.
To qualify for a Bobby award you must have received a five star review in the first place. Out of the hundreds of shows that we reviewed at this year's Brighton Fringe, an incredible 24 received a five star review. From glitzy cabaret with Alfie Ordinary's Help! I Think I Might Be Fabulous to compelling spoken word in What We Leave Behind, there were fantastic shows from a whole range of genres. Each and every five star show is a stand-out smash-hit worth tracking down and watching. We hope to see many of them at Edinburgh, touring the UK or back in Brighton again next year.
After careful consideration, the Broadway Baby editorial team decided on the following shortlist:
What We Leave Behind
What our reviewer said: 'Erin is clearly one of the foremost talents performing in the UK today. Amiable, intelligent and funny, the entire audience was enchanted and no doubt would have gladly spent the rest of the afternoon in her presence'.
Victorious
What our reviewer said: 'Brackenbury’s work is pretty and clever and undoubtedly pretty clever. It’s a delight: euphorious, meritorious and - surely Victoria would agree - undeniably bloody-well Victorious!'
Hymns for Robots
What our reviewer said: 'This play is one of a kind. Constantly engaging, absolutely hilarious and unbelievably charming, Hymns for Robots is something that shouldn’t be missed'.
Always, With A Love That's True
What our reviewer said: 'The romance in the play is subtle, in fact I don’t get the feeling that it’s that important, and I like that. It’s about people, individuals, their strange relationships, yes, but more about them individually and how life is strange, always'.
With one of the strongest shortlists for years, it was going to be hard to decide on a winner. And in a way, they're all winners...but in another, and well let's be honest, more accurate way, only one of them won.
Broadway Baby are delighted to announce that the winner of the 2018 Broadway Baby Bobby award for Brighton Fringe was...Victorious.
Hannah Brackenbury's one-woman Victoria Wood tribute show was voted by our editorial team to be the smash-hit of Brighton Fringe. Our review might have said 'when you have talent like this there’s no need for glitzy adornments.' However, we felt that Hannah needed at least one glitzy adornment and so presented her with a specially commissioned glitzy Bobby award.
Brackenbury was genuinely delighted by the result and said that, although it had been tricky to get relevant authorisation to use some of Victoria Wood’s songs, she now hopes that the attention the Bobby will bring will help her to seek a future life for the show, with a possible tour or Edinburgh dates in the pipeline for next year.
Congratulations to Hannah Brackenbury and to all the shows at this year's Brighton Fringe.
