I was never confused ... never confused ...
I'd been meaning to catch up with this show for a number of years so I bought my ticket early this year. It's an immensely popular show at the Fringe and sells out regularly. It's a good party night for groups of people and there were plenty of hen nights in this night, plenty of guys too, young, old - very mixed crowd. The Lady Boys seem to appeal to everyone. I was next to the stage so had an excellent view of proceedings.
The troupe comprises ten or so Lady Boys, four "normal" male performers, a dwarf and a shiny, veneered compère. The show is a series of lip-synced dance routines, some comedy and an intermission where you can get your photo taken with a group of the Lady Boys (sadly by the time I'd worked up the courage to get a photo time had run out). As you might imagine most of the songs are girl-power themes or camp classics, with the Lady Boys and chaps in various costumes performing various routines - backstage must be a blur as quick-changes are very much the order of the day, although the more elaborate routines were usually followed by a simpler solo spot or the aforementioned person-of-size doing a comedy song while the set was changed and the other performers changed into new outfits.
It was all camper than a row of tents, and immense fun. Yes, one or two of the Ladies were pretty obviously men (one in particular was deliberately butch and he/she was used partly for comedy and partly to be slightly more masculine I suppose) but most were quite stunning. You were encouraged to take photos so if you're on my Facebook Timeline then you may have seen the photos I took.
It all ended with a big thank you to the people of Scotland for supporting the Lady Boys so fervently, and then they launched into several Scottish songs - one from the Bay City Rollers (in suitable tartan trousers and tops), a jig by the male performers in full Highland dress, and then the big climax was the whole troupe, again in suitably Scottish outfits, performing to Runrig's version of Loch Lomond.
All very jolly and huge fun. Quite innocent generally, although one or two slightly naughty bits.
I suppose I had slight reservations of the use of the dwarf and more butch Lady Boy for comic relief but, again, it was all so generally innocent, and on the assumption everyone is getting paid, then who am I to judge?
A very enjoyable conclusion to the day. The long walk back from Fountainbridge to the flat was not much fun as both feet had developed blisters but that was hardly the Lady Boys' fault ...
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