For a die-hard Fringe-goer like me, it has to happen at least once every year. Falling in love with a  show, I mean. In 2013, the recipient of my affection is Major Tom, a truly winning comedy that is half-literally about the triumph of the underdog.

The piece was created by Victoria Melody, a specialist in one-woman shows that seem to entail her need to understand various English cultural activities from a participant’s perspective. For this work she decided to become a beauty pageant contestant out of empathy with the basset hound with whom she shares the stage. Although the dog spends most of his time in the spotlight sprawled on a pillow, Major Tom is a bona fide scene-stealer. It is this smelly and soporific diva’s success in amateur dog shows that propels Melody to pursue greater flory for both of them. For Major Tom, it’s Crufts, while for Melody — aka Mrs. Brighton — it’s the Mrs UK competition. Major Tom is a perceptive joy, thanks largely to Melody’s canny comic timing. This self-avowed feminist lets us in on the nutty fun of what she’s done as the owner of an aspiring championship canine and as a would-be beauty queen. I laughed till I cried.