Cecilia Gentili's Red Ink @ Underbelly Bristo Square

In an increasingly challenging time to be a trans person, comfort and safety can be found in Red Ink, brought to the Edinburgh Fringe by Breaking the Binary Theatre and Elliot Page's PAGEBOY Productions. The show opens with Chiquitita bursting onstage in a gorgeous flowing outfit, with confidence oozing from her veins. She's got legs for days and insightful words for almost an hour. We watch a series of monologues unfold, as Chiquitita tells the story of Cecilia Gentili’s life.

Chiquitita is met with laughter as she cracks jokes and embraces queer identity, helping our audience understand the trans experience in 1970s Argentina. She assures us that she’s an atheist, followed with anecdotes around God's involvement in her life (not by choice), and an examination of how ingrained religion has been for our protagonist from a young age. Throughout these snapshots into Cecilia’s life, we see video montages of her from a young age – pre-transition – accompanied by lively, energetic music, as well as images of Cecilia during her transition and the miracle of acceptance through meeting other trans people.

This show shows sides to sex we are often too afraid to talk about – Chiquitita is definitely not afraid, and I leave feeling more confident in my own sexuality, especially relating to how we understand sex work and how it can intersect within the trans community. An abrupt ending catches us off guard, but the show itself is loud and proud, full of flair, and a demonstration that we should enjoy every moment of life we can. 

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Cecilia Gentili's Red Ink, Underbelly Bristo Square (Jersey), until 25 Aug, 2.30pm, £13-14