Review by Steve Bennett

‘And what do you do?’ It’s the first question from comedy club comperes everywhere, and the jumping-off point for Juliette Burton’s first solo show away from the Burton & Mace double act.

When young, she had a familiar list of dream jobs, many of them girly: ballerina, princess, pop star, artist, Muppet.... But, of course, most people don’t end up with that sort of career – so what goes wrong?

In many ways this taps into the modern, X-Factor-fuelled, sense of entitlement that we are all talented and special and deserve the fame or lifestyle we crave; no matter what the more prosaic realities of society, or indeed ability, determine. Yet some people do make it... and the recession is making more people give their dream a shot, as they are laid off from their wage-slave jobs.

For this episodic show, the winsome Burton tries her hand at each of those childhood ambitions – joining in a kids’ dance class, for example, or trying her hand at baking, another young dream. The video footage of her following princess etiquette, is especially witty.

Yet one notable vocation missing from her litany of lifelong yearnings is that of comedian; and it’s true that Burton is not one of those performers who exudes a sense of having ‘funny bones’ that compel her to wisecrack. Yet she’s effortlessly likeable, and a strong actress – making you root for her success or feel sad when she lost her cool graduate job as a journalist for not ‘loving it’ enough.

Crucially, she’s bold enough to bare some of her soul when discussing acute teenage psychological problems that took her close to death. There’s surely a whole other ‘misery memoir’-type show to be had about her anorexia, but it’s not this one, which is a predominantly feelgood, upbeat hour – although by confronting her past, Burton ensures this is built on a solid emotional bedrock.

The openness in these episodes is in contrast to the rather corny ‘final thoughts’ that otherwise tie up each chapter with such trite Clinton Cards sentimentality as: ‘We can all be princesses to our Mums and Dads, but...’

This aside, When I Want To Grow Up is an excellently constructed hour, with stylish animations, adorable childhood photographs, films of her escapades, vox pops, and a welcome guest video appearance from foam-built entertainer Randy, all exploring the theme. It was directed by stand-up JoJo Sutherland, and certainly has a the feel of a show that’s been lovingly made with a sense of vision, rather than cobbled together just for the sake of having an Edinburgh offering.

And that’s apt, for Burton’s message is that by hard work, by following a calling rather than doing a job, and by enlisting the help of like-minded people, you can find the route to success. When I Want To Grow Up is certainly a confident step along that road for Burton, and an entertaining heart-warmer for the rest of us.

Review date: 2 Aug 2013
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett