Adam – trans actress Willow MacDonald – takes us on their journey to be Emily in Alice K Stephens’ searingly honest coming-out play Spit It Out.
Willow is quiet, unassuming and mesmerisingly honest in their portrayal of the fast-food server who wants to dress as a woman but initially proclaims they are “just a gay man”.
This reticence, faced with a multitude of phobias in the workplace and at Adam’s auntie’s house, don’t make this life journey easy.
Supported by a trio of actors – Joe Eason, Jamie Coenen and Isobel Sheard – who play all the other characters we meet, Willow shines through in this rare portrayal on stage of trans dreams and desires, enacted by a trans performer.
Adam/Emily’s confusion and uncertainty are grippingly real and Noah Alfred Pantano’s direction is sharp, quick and uncompromising.
Moving to a confident and hopeful ending is just what we needed in this must-watch show.
Let’s have some more trans stories and more trans performers on our stages.
Spit It Out was at Rotunda Theatre as part of Brighton Fringe.
