Gaia’s Brilliant and Hilarious Solo Show
Centre of the Universe is wonderfully hilarious and appropriately candid solo comedy performance by Gaia, navigating the crazy inner life of a 15-year-old girl searching for the purpose of her life—without any particular talents standing out. This results in an hour of laugh-out-loud humour, biting social satire, and unrelenting energy that leaves the audience gripped until the very end.
The movie starts as a TikTok social media influencer visits her school, setting off an overexcitement for manifestation techniques and the pursuit of having a perfectly curated life. Gaia satirically depicts the whirling activity of creating vision boards, gazing at them throughout the night, and waiting for signs of greatness from the universe. Her metaphor of falling deep into such ceremonies is biting and funny, expressing the desperation to achieve meaning in an era of instant fixes.
What makes the show lift off is Gaia’s engaging stage presence and ability to bring the audience along with every sentence. The room echoed with prolonged guffaws and burst laughter, a punchline to her keen writing and acting skills. Centre of the Universe is a fresh, bold and truly original piece of comedy.
Centre of the Universe, Runs until 25th August at Summerhall with tickets available at https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/venues/summerhall
Reviewer: Saira Kunjuvalappil (Saira ks)
Reviewed: 2nd August 2025
North West End UK Rating: