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Delusional – I Killed a Man

 
Frodo Allan Review by Frodo Allan 5 Published: 22 Aug 2025 Summerhall Show Dates: 31 Jul 2025-24 Aug 2025

I’m lucky enough to count a few trans persons among my friends and, although it’s not a subject often discussed, there’s generally a feeling that their transition is to be celebrated – a becoming of who they really are, of who they were meant to be. Diana Salles takes the intriguing approach that, to become the woman she is today, she had to kill the man she was. Delusional: I Killed a Man is a multidisciplinary contemporary circus show that tackles this feeling with heart, skill, humour, and beauty.

Salles has delivered an incredible example of the genre

Opening as the arrival at a funeral, we are greeted by Salles in mourning black. She glides among the audience, expressing her grief before throwing herself into the performance. It’s a spectacular use of circus theatre, utilising aerial silks and hoop, physical theatre, and contemporary dance, along with singing and an intriguing selection of music that, although not always subtle, clearly conveys the intention of the piece.

The aerial performance is both spectacular and nuanced; there are moments of breathtaking beauty in the air, followed by sudden death-defying drops that bring gasps from the enraptured audience. Seeing her entwined in silks makes me wonder if the big question of Delusional: I Killed a Man is whether Salles truly murdered the man she was in order to create this complicated, talented, vulnerable, yet strong woman. Or was this a metamorphosis? Did Salles spring forth from a body that was simply a cocoon, allowing her to be reborn as she is now?

Circus theatre is fast becoming the hot genre at the Fringe, and Salles has delivered an incredible example of the genre. In this show, Salles presents a performance as tightly delivered as a classical monologue and as thrilling as the highest drama. This is a show that will stay with you long after the applause has finally died.

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The Blurb:

A contemporary circus solo that embarks on a trans woman's journey. The show explores the haunting feeling of having murdered one's former self, a common experience for many trans people when leaving their assigned gender behind. Through a multidisciplinary repertoire such as aerials, dance, singing and physical theatre, Diana Salles invites us to reflect on the physical and emotional strength it takes to honour one's truth. The combination of aerial silks, beautiful images and mesmerising music makes you want to hug the artist. A heart-stopping circus show that unravels the beauty of self-discovery.