ED FRINGE 2025 REVIEW: Centre of The Universe

 

Centre of The Universe is a blistering one‑woman show, equal parts comic rollercoaster and existential question mark. Written and performed by Gaia Mondadori, it follows Mary, a fifteen‑year‑old who is convinced she’s destined for vast fame by age twenty‑three – her every step dictated by influencer culture, viral moments, and a destructive obsession with being seen. 

Mondadori brings Mary to life with rambunctious energy: funny, frantic, and vulnerable, all at once. Her character work (teachers, friends, gurus) is sharp and well observed. What starts as absurd and comedic spirals into something darker – the loneliness, grief, and desperation hidden under the curated feed.

The staging is minimal but effective. A static spotlight, clever use of props and costume changes, even lighting cues, all reflect the inner turbulence of Mary’s journey. It’s theatrical storytelling stripped down, letting the performance take you into her mind.

Where the show occasionally falters is in pacing—at times its high‑octane delivery can overwhelm the emotional beats that follow. But those quieter moments land hard: they give you room to lean in, to feel the cost of Mary’s ambition. 

Overall, Centre of The Universe is provocative, urgent theatre. It’s a vivid mirror held up to our social‑media saturated culture, an invitation to ask: when does the drive to be seen obscure who we really are? A must‑see for anyone interested in the cracks between performance and authenticity.