Jake Mace
What do raccoon dogs (yes, a real animal) have to do with Trans Joy? Our ecstatic and beaming host Alex Franklin is here to connect the dots up for us, with some surprising, introspective and quite moving moments revealing themselves along the way. Franklin pokes fun at society’s pre-conceptions of Trans people with joyful, lively music and whip-smart jokes, then builds in a compassionate, clever message through endless tangents that neatly wrap up in the show’s conclusion.
There is never a moment where the set feels too heavy-handed – Franklin navigates through the World of coming out as a Trans Woman, her past life as a Professional Gamer, and her unusual pre-disposition to gift her friends large items of furniture, with a great deal of joy. Joy really captures the essence of this show – in which Franklin dallies, recalls, and rewinds a great deal of personal history in a hugely accessible, light-hearted way.
Franklin moves at an intensely rapid pace through topics, to the point where I was still catching my breath from the last theme to the next before I had time to ingest it. This didn’t stop a large portion of the crowd from cackling along the way however, nor me thoroughly enjoying myself throughout.
I did wince a little at a seemingly-improvised point where Franklin teased my section of the audience, calling them the “chucklers’ – I didn’t get the feeling any of us were uninterested by the subjects on display nor by our charismatic host, I just found myself struggling to keep up. The set covers a lot of references and self-references, so you really have to stay invested over the whole hour.
I don’t feel this detracts greatly, however, as Franklin goes on to explain her relationship with neurodiversity she addresses the inspiration this has in creating her material. It’s commendable to be able to fit so much into such a short space of time, represent marginalised topics so thoroughly, and still have a great percentage of your audience keeping with you on that journey the whole way.
The multimedia elements to the show – a Powerpoint presentation, two songs, a selection of videos and photos from Franklin’s past – are patchwork but do add a certain sense of ephemerality and sentimentality to the set. They could be tied in more clearly to the show’s structure, as at the moment Franklin darts across the stage, in and out of song, flicking through a mighty number of slides, and there’s a lot happening all at once.
The central comedic tension of the piece lies in Franklin taking these seemingly endless deviations down random rabbit holes – covering everything from the trolley problem down to zoology – that seem to just be going nowhere, but actually loop quite intrinsically back later on, to great effect. The presentation of her coming out story is charming, and Franklin manages to carry us with her through this quite deep section with her trademark levity. The final moments do leave you genuinely a bit dewy-eyed, as we see the personal depth that this story has for Franklin unveiled in a mighty storytelling crescendo.
I thoroughly enjoyed this hour, which windmills through an incredible amount of content with zaniness, glee, and genuine empathy. Franklin is an absorbing and frenetic host, who delivers an endearing recital of her personal history and looks with jubilation towards a fulfilling future.
Recommended Drink: Have a couple of pints at your friend’s birthday party then find yourself carrying a mattress through Central London in the early hours of the morning.
You can catch Alex Franklin: Gurl Code at Underbelly Cowgate – Delhi Belly until August 25th at 20:25. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Phoebe Bakker
