EdFringe Review: I Am Your Tribute

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Sarah-Louise Young is one of the jewels in the crown of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Her wonderful voice is only part of the appeal, the rest stems from her charismatic joy in sharing her music, and her love of music with her audiences.

Many of my readers will need no introduction, her ‘other’ show, An Evening Without Kate Bush has been smashing box offices since 2019 and shows no signs of slowing down after an appearance at Glastonbury this year.

Her new show, ‘I am Your Tribute’ builds upon that show, and its predecessor Julie Madly Deeply, reflecting Sarah-Louise’s growing fascination with tribute acts and their relationships with the original artists and their fandoms.

To call it ambitious is an understatement. Thanks to a box of wigs, and the odd dodgy moustache Sarah-Louise brings all manner of pop stars to temporary life, from Kate Bush (obviously) to Britney Spears, Freddie Mercury, and Frank Sinatra. However this isn’t a ‘look what I can do’ show, it is a tribute to tributes.

Young has the x-factor which allows a sudden shift from almost chaotic hilarity to the heartfelt and serious. It’s a magic trick when it works: you can hear the stardust twinkling into the stalls as she captures an audience with a story.

And yes, there is an interactive element to the show, and I suspect each show is as different as the audience wishes. The occasional bod will be pulled up on stage (with consent), and invited to help summon the phantoms of Elvis, Bowie and more. The tone of ‘I Am Your Tribute’ is celebratory, to say the least. Expect to sing, laugh, and be merry.

However, threaded through this party is an acknowledgement of the tougher aspects of Tribute culture. There will always be critics who think them nothing more than predatory knock-offs, and tributing to living idols comes at the risk of legal warfare. Sarah-Louise’s own encounters with one Julie Andrews (whom she adores) are facilitated via puppet to avoid a stop-and-desist notice. Yes, I said puppet.

Overall this is a cracking show. It is as she says, a 1 am show at 1 pm, but this is the Fringe, so get on down and get your party on. It’s also a show which will improve with every outing. I was let in the door on the premiere performance – which is just so brave – and left delighted. It wasn’t quite perfect then (whose show is perfect on day 1?!!!) but I predict it will be very soon. I’ll be back.

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