Review: Goodness Me, Fringe 2025

Having had to unexpectedly drop off some art for a show, Birdy then hightailed it to Paradise at Augustines for this delightful, thought-provoking one-woman show.

When I first entered the Snug at Paradise in Augustines, I didn’t know quite what to expect from this one-woman show written and performed by award-winning actor and playwright Ioana Goga. Turns out it’s a cosy little venue, and little did I know at the time that it fitted Ioana’s show, Goodness Me, perfectly.

Vibe

Goga plays a character called Celeste, a 30-year-old woman whose life appears to be falling apart at the seams, and nothing seems to be going right or how she’d hoped for it to be. There’s pressure, heartbreak and despair involevd. I’m sure we’ve all felt that way at some point, so the vibe is quite deep, a little bit sad, and very relatable.

But there’s also quite a bit of hope, and some surrealism in the form of Lulu the blue Furby, and engaging visuals that further add to the show’s quirky nature.

The show itself

This was an engaging, strong performance by Goga, in which the audience could follow along with Celeste’s story by looking at the screen, and watching Celeste interact with props such as her cardboard phone, watering can, and of course Lulu the Furby.

Speaking of Lulu, you get the feeling early on that she isn’t an ordinary Furby, and I feel a bit silly admitting that the conversations between Celeste and Lulu actually sometimes had me looking at the Furby for its response. That’s how far I was able to suspend my disbelief with this show!

I felt like I could very much relate to the character of Celeste, because I myself have been in that sort of situation at around the same age; feeling lost, and not quite where I’d planned after a long stint in Los Angeles and then back to Edinburgh again.

Goga really nails the emotions and conflict, and her emotional (very believable) reactions to some of the events – including real tears at a couple of points in the show. But it turns out Celeste isn’t your typical 30-year-old woman, either – she’s quite literally got the weight of the world on her shoulders! The good thing is, you find yourself rooting for her.

I really enjoyed the changing illustrations on the screen, to reflect things like the changing state of Celeste’s apartment, or messages appearing on her phone. It was a great way to add an extra dimension to the show, so nicely done.

Overall

I really enjoyed Goodness Me as a wholesome, engaging and relatively fun show where I didn’t quite know where things would be going next. There’s some very relatable content perfectly combined with whimsy and surrealism, and the on-screen illustrations were a nice touch.