There was a renewed interest in Eurovision this year as Liverpool hosted the song contest on behalf of Ukraine, after Sam Ryder came second for the UK the previous year. But it’s the second placed contestant from 2021, Barbara Parvi for France, that has inspired Nan, Me and Barbara Pravi playing at Summerhall this Edinburgh Fringe.
Hannah Maxwell’s opening monologue succinctly sums up the bright, glittery, spectacle that is the annual Eurovision Song Contest, but we learn that this story started long before Barbara Pravi sang the opening note of ‘Voila’ at the Rotterdam Ahoy.
In this hilarious and very poignant one person show, Hannah takes us through the months she spent caring for her grandmother as her grandfather received palliative care. Between cooking meals, dishing out pills and watching Countdown, Hannah discovers, and begins to obsess over, the French songbird Barbara Pravi.
So begins a campaign of research, cyber investigations and learning French, as Hannah plans the first meeting with Barbara. Elaborate plans are hatched, and while all this might seem a bit stalker-ish it becomes clear that this is an escape from the reality Hannah is actually living.
Maxwell’s show is superbly comedic, and there’s a very natural rapport with the audience. Handy, as this show does involve some audience participation, though no-one needs to worry as it’s all very cleverly done.
With Maxwell’s own Nan providing voiceovers for Hannah to interact with, and with video projections on the screen behind, this feels like a very personal and authentic story, and also feels surprisingly relatable, particularly after the pandemic.
Though predominantly a comedy, Nan, Me and Barbara Pravi is also incredibly bittersweet; it’s a tale of unrequited love while at the same time dealing with themes of grief, loss, and mental health. Maxwell’s writing keeps the audience engaged while at the same time tackling a largely unexplored topic.
What starts as a love letter to Eurovision becomes a love letter to oneself. Hannah Maxwell and Nan, Me and Barbara Pravi triumphs in this contest scoring douze points across the board.
