EDINBURGH 2026: Review: TRANS PEOPLE ARE AWFUL, Pleasance Courtyard

Written by Beth Sitek, Trans People Are Awful is a new satirical horror thriller. The show opens with an analogy about transitioning, represented by spoons. If one day you wake up and your favourite spoon isn’t quite right, wouldn’t you try to change it rather than struggling to eat soup with a subpar utensil?

Our protagonist, played by Ros Watt is on a mission. He has already killed fourteen men for their body parts; if he gets one more, he plans to perform surgery on himself with body parts he has collected.He’s not stupid; he knows that he will die from this DIY surgery. But the plan is that he will finally be his true self, with all the masculine parts he has dreamt of.

To say Trans People Are Awful is dark feels somewhat understated. It’s absolutely brutal. There was an interpretive dance with severed genitals where I legitimately needed to cover my eyes. But this is where the brilliance lies. It’s absurd and hilarious and absolutely gripping.

He convinces himself that all of his victims have it coming in a way, whether they were just a bit rude to him or unfaithful to their spouse. There’s a completely surreal scene with victims’ screams played out over pounding dance beats. When he decides to keep one of his victims around for a bit post-mortem, their one-sided conversations are interspersed with him giving them a wee courtesy skoosh of Febreeze every now and then.

Ros Watt is just the most captivating performer. Something about him is deeply likeable despite his horrific actions and he’s cheeky and charming throughout. It’s a surprisingly emotional show for one so gory and it’s absolutely packed with dark humour. Really dark. Pitch black. If you’re not faint of heart, then I’d thoroughly recommend it.

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