Dee Allum @ Pleasance Courtyard
Dee Allum's Raumdeuter gets slightly lost around its middle, but overall it's a thoroughly entertaining show with hilarious one-liners
“It’s like explaining daylight savings to a rat,” hypothesises Dee Allum as she explains what it’s like to come out as trans to your gran. In her new show Raumdeuter, it’s the off-hand one-liners that get you spluttering.
Raumdeuter takes us through Allum’s journey as a trans woman in today’s society; a society which we know is incredibly hostile. It’s a story about an ongoing process of becoming. Allum teases, “you can laugh at every trans related joke in here apart from one… laughing at that one will get you cancelled…” We’re in on the joke to an extent, just enough to feel comfortable but not enough to feel completely at ease.
She keeps a steady pace, with a strong first section. She’s generous with personal anecdotes about family and her identity without being too self-deprecating. This gives the show a confident edge, one which keeps you hanging off every word.
Things get slightly lost in the middle where Allum moves into the theme of football. She is making an interesting observation that football itself is transgender – a timely subject and one which feels exciting and new as a concept. But we’re not left with it for long. It’s a short segment, despite the fact it provides a fresh perspective and one that has most likely not been heard before by most people in the audience.
Allum is naturally charismatic and is educational without being patronising, sarcastic without being cruel. Throughout the show, we’re faced with hard-hitting facts about trans athletes' exclusion from the Olympics. She doubles down, repeating different trivia until it all feels ridiculous and obscene – her point expertly proved.
As we move into the latter part of the show, Allum speaks about relationships, returning to familial ties and lightly touching on her long-distance partnership. There’s not much of a climax to the show; rather, it keeps you engaged until the very end. As a whole, Raumdeuter is thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable, with a necessary voice and perspective that shines through.
Dee Allum: Raumdeuter, Pleasance Courtyard (Upstairs), until 30 Aug (not 18), 4.10pm, £16.50/£15.50