В Эдинбурге пройдет провокационная премьера спектакля о трансгендере, совершающем преступления ради операции

In a case best described as ‘NHS Very Direct’ – that is, a ‘do it yourself’ job. An unnamed character (Ros Watt) appears in a bloodied top, takes it off and puts on an even more bloodied top, which makes him look a tad more authentic, given the storyline. A trans man, whom I shall call Guy for argument’s sake (a guy called Guy) wants to complete his transition. To do this, he needs body parts. He’s looked into the statistics and it appears that trans people make up a lower amount of the prison population than the general population. So, if anything, by committing multiple crimes against the person, he’s bringing things back into equilibrium. But that’s not quite true either, because his proposed DIY surgery is, he has strong reason to believe, will finish him off. I must admit I found the killings very darkly satisfying – he goes for a certain type of cisgendered man (the sort who, for instance, wouldn’t understand the term ‘cis’ in the first place) and hearing alpha males, via voiceover, beg for their lives, was equally disturbing and desperate. Only in hindsight did I find myself asking: hold on, how did someone as physically slight as Guy successfully take down his intended targets? Impressive if improbable. I was impressed too, by his ability to solve a Rubix cube – I suppose it’s something you can either do in short order or not at all (no prizes for guessing which category your reviewer falls into). The storyline, and the play’s title, seem to be pushbacks against the belief that trans people can do no wrong, and therefore, far more by design than by default, even the idea of a trans person committing criminal acts is itself somehow unthinkable. But trans people should not be underestimated… Loud and at times highly physical, there’s a lot to think about beyond the surface-level visceral happenings. As Avenue Q asserts, for instance, “everyone’s a little bit racist”, in the sense that there are widely held views, sometimes very positive, about people based on their personal characteristics. ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ is the central takeaway message in this deliberately gross and grotesque production. Gloriously horrifying and ferociously engaging. Review by Chris Omaweng In a garage in north-east Scotland, Boy, a young trans guy, is preparing to document the final act of his life. Armed with a camera, a vivid imagination and an axe bought on Facebook Marketplace, and covered in blood, Boy begins recording an “explanation” video for future true-crime fans, laying out his meticulously constructed plan to perform the “perfect” transition – murdering cis men to steal body parts that will finally make him whole. He knows the surgery will kill him, but it will be worth it. That, too, is part of the plan. Written and performed by Ros Watt TRANS PEOPLE ARE AWFUL Pleasance Courtyard at the Edinburgh Fringe 5 to 31 August 2026