An American (Not) in Paris (Fringe Review) 5 stars

5 Stars

An American (Not) in Paris by Liv Rocklin is worth going out of your way to see. In fact, it has already proved itself at multiple Fringe tours across the US. Finally coming to Edinburgh, the show does not disappoint. Liv Rocklin was giving full ‘Yas Queen’ in the way only a Gen-Z girl in her 20s can. Liv experienced a minor hiccup ten minutes before the show, when the G-string snapped on her guitar. But she played it off effortlessly saying, ‘Unfortunately I’ll be doing the show without a G-string on my guitar, but I am wearing one if you’re wondering why I look so uncomfortable today.’ If this small mishap affected the quality of any of her songs, it was impossible to tell.

An American (Not) in Paris tells the story of one girl’s love affair with the City of Lights guided by the over-glorified narratives American celebrity culture feeds to its youth. With impeccable stage presence, Liv takes us through her childhood fantasies as they manifest into neurodivergent behavior to be mined for comedy. A hilarious stand-up set flows into musical comedy which usually takes the form of whichever celebrity Liv idolizes in this moment of the story. Songs are delivered in the style of Lizzie McGuire (Hilary Duff), Taylor Swift, and Britney Spears. Liv will either charmingly play her guitar, or strut powerfully around the stage dancing with two rubber baguettes.

In a city with a million shows, An American (Not) in Paris should make it on your must-see list. Liv Rocklin is in her diva era and everyone deserves to know it. After the show, the whole audience was on their feet, lining up to get a chance to tell Liv how funny she was. Hidden gems like these are what make the Edinburgh Fringe so wonderful to experience.

An American (Not) in Paris, Just The Bottle Room at Just The Tonic at The Mash House, till 20th August