By Kat Mokrynski

“The year is 2011 and anything is possible”

Written by Emily Wilson and Sam Blumenfield (who also directs) with music produced by Charlie O’Connor, FIXED tells the story of how Emily became a finalist on the American version of The X Factor at the young age of fifteen and how it went so badly that she refused to acknowledge it for years. As soon as you walk into the Soho Downstairs, you are transported into the 2010s, with songs like “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele and “Party Rock” by LMFAO playing. 

The show begins with home videos of Wilson performing, starting as a toddler and then moving onto her singing covers posted on YouTube. If you were growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, you will probably find yourself relating to Wilson and her desire to become famous for her talent, using the new concept of social media to share your work with very little parental supervision. 

As an American who also grew up in the Northeast of the United States, a particular highlight of the show for me was Wilson going into the politics of America in 2011 from the perspective of her 15-year-old self, who grew up as a conservative Republican. A bit about the “No Spin Zone” with Bill O’Reilly from FOX News’s The O’Reilly Factor had me in tears of laughter while also cringing at the relatability of being a young teenager who only knows the values her parents have taught her.  

Wilson reminded me of Rachel Bloom with her witty songs, funny choreography, and brilliant recurring jokes, but also stands out as her own performer, using her video skills gained from time on YouTube to create a multimedia show. I was incredibly impressed by how Wilson was able to combine clips from her time on The X-Factor with commentary as her current self, including a hilarious bit in which she reacted to each of the judge’s comments on her audition with Austin (in a duo iconically called “AusEm”). She also does a fantastic job of combining her musical and technological talents, highlighted in a song in which she “DJs” along to a robotic voice reading out cruel YouTube comments about her. 

Everything within FIXED is used brilliantly, with nothing being overused. Wilson uses her set to situate herself in different periods of her life – Sometimes sitting at a “desk” and writing in a diary (bright pink with the iconic lock that so many of us dreamed of) as her 15-year-old self and at other times performing choreographed songs as her current self. There is a hilarious recurring bit in which Wilson uses the Hannah Montana transition music when changing “scenes”, changing her outfit to reflect either 2011 or 2023 persona. 

The shows ends on an emotional note, with Wilson looking back on how she tried to avoid talking about her time on The X-Factor and reflecting on how she has gotten to the point where she is comfortable enough to sing about it on stage in front of an audience. As Wilson sings, “Things will always change” – We will always look back and cringe at moments in our past, but we can connect with our past self in order to move on to the future. 

Ultimately, FIXED is a brilliant musical comedy that will live you gasping for breath after an hour of laughter. Wilson is incredibly talented and pulls the audience into her tragic story through songs and monologues, weaving together 2011 and 2023 with ease. I hate to admit this, but Simon Cowell was right for once in his life. As he said to Wilson in her 2011 audition, “I think the audience you are aiming at will understand you perfectly” – And we just don’t understand her, we’re rooting for her. 

Emily Wilson: FIXED runs at the SoHo Theatre from 13 to 18 March with performances at 9:15 PM in Soho Downstairs. Tickets can be purchased here. Wilson’s tour of Fixed will continue in the United States. More information on that can be found here.