Review by Kate Gaul
Celebrated Anna Piper Scott - comedian, trans woman and voice of a generation – is an inspiration. With a slew of awards, she arrives at Sydney Fringe. As a trans woman whose made it in the cutthroat world of comedy she IS an inspiration. It’s exhausting having to keep giving to the inspiration porn industry which doesn’t allow artists to be artists. We all love a survivor! The title is a joke, of course. This is a show about being trans, mental health, recovering from trauma and Anna’s love/hate relationship with comedy.
Anna tells her story – complete with “Nanette moment”. No spoilers – it’s her story to tell. But this is a savvy, slick and somewhat dark 50+ minute comedy show. Some of it is tough. Anna takes us by the hand and leads us through her world of pronoun abuse, being cast as villain or victim and the mountain of transphobic abuse the world has to offer. It’s a warts-and-all personal journey but far beyond weepy confessional. There’s funny flat mates and plenty of job search material to keep the show buoyant.
Anna playfully encourages us to get down with gender issues, don’t avoid the tricky stuff. Anna is a consummate professional and knows how to land her blows. This is a beautifully crafted show. Anna is a charming, luminous (and sometimes biting) presence. She may not see herself as inspirational but Anna is one fierce queen here to dismantle myths about trans gender folk and make us laugh. Definitely one of the top shows of the Fringe. Highly recommended.
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