Review: 52 MONOLOGUES FOR YOUNG TRANSSEXUALS, VAULT Festival

"Hi, would you do me the honour of spitting in this cup for me?" asks the gorgeous person in lingerie as you step through the door. While Charli Cowgill collects spit at the entrance, Laurie Ward stretches on stage. Below the purple lights, a dust sheet covers the scene and objects are neatly arranged at the edges. From a child's bike to a female bust, from a strap-on to Baby Oil, the visuals already hint at the type of show we're about to watch.

Directed by Ilona Sell, Cowgill and Ward proceed to examine the trans experience from all directions through a mix of verbatim and physical theatre. They are articulate in their writing and provocative in their humour. "People think they can say anything", with women being the most invasive and straightforward, they declare. They dissect and analyse the unrequited comments, jokes, and pressures that come with being a trans woman.

Divergent points of view on makeup and womanhood coexist alongside perceived misogyny and offensive comparisons during dates. They are precise in their harangue and leave no space for the accidental leeway of opinion. Their unhinged dancing leads to harrowing displays of humiliation and sexuality. We find out why there is such an extensive list of content warnings.

52 Monologues for Young Transsexuals is experimental and out there in shape and form. It's an audacious and cocky look at what's routinely endured by the majority of transgender people. It will anger some and please others. The duo are ironically aware of the limitations of the conversation, but are unafraid to tackle each side bluntly.

From being problematically turned on by misogyny to the explanation of the feeling of leaning into one's femininity, they cover the subject thoroughly and eloquently. They entertain and challenge their audience, leaving them wanting more.

52 Monologues for Young Transsexuals runs at VAULT Festival until 12 February.

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