As Robin Tran walks on stage, she greets us with a warm smile and soft voice. It’s something I wasn’t expecting, having just heard Wheezer as part of her walk-on music. She surprises all of us by revealing her real voice, which completely disarms her audience in The Box at Assembly. Does she want to be a voice for the transgender community? No. Does she want to be a hero for the cause? No. Robin Tran just wants to be her true, unapologetic self – and that’s what she is for the next hour.
A real honour to watch and experience this hour
She gives us a unique insight into her world. As well as being transgender, Tran is also autistic and has ADHD. However, with these admissions, her material never paints her as a victim. Tran says from the outset, she just wants to be a shitty transgender woman (although people might look at her and see a giant baby who found a dress). We hear about her success, or lack thereof, on dating sites, her hilarious porn-watching habits (kick-started by the pandemic) and her ‘aggressively gay’ relationship. With such toxicity online nowadays regarding transgender issues, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear about Tran’s life, unfiltered and uncensored. She’s definitely someone who’s not afraid to talk about uncomfortable things. The Box becomes a safe space to laugh about some of the things we might not fully understand. Tran is in control of the room the entire time and her comic timing is some of the best I’ve seen at this year’s Fringe.
Although there are some moments of real pain throughout Don’t Look At Me, Robin Tran balances this with hope. Underneath the stories of her mental health are gleaming moments of hilarity. The laughs in her show represent the warmth that she naturally gives off as a performer. As we reached the end of the moving last act, I realised that this show had made me happier than I was before I came in. Yes, the material was consistently brilliant, but the show touched me on a deeper level. I felt the hope that was so prominent as a theme in the show. It was a real honour to watch and experience this hour.
