Written and Starring Dylan Mulvaney

Directed by Tim Jackson

Review by Annie Aslett

Assembly George Square Studios: Tickets

Dylan Mulvaney is a massive TikTok star. Her Days of Girlhood series has garnered her billion views, global acclaim, and bona fide celebrity status. So, the last thing you’d expect as you walk into Assembly George Square Studio 2 is to find Mulvaney ushering people into their seats. She’s a vision in white angel wings, hugging fans, having a chat and generally welcoming everyone with open arms. Mulvaney’s show, FAGHAG, has been a critical hit at the Fringe, and the auditorium is packed to the brim, ready to see what Mulvaney has in store for her solo show after a tumultuous (understatement) couple of years in the public eye.

FAGHAG, directed by Tim Jackson, begins in Heaven as Angel Dylan is being assigned to her next life – unfortunately, this new body is not quite the one she expected. The show is stuffed full of laughs from the off, as Mulvaney guides us through her life story as a trans woman fighting ignorance and bigotry at every turn. The story is told with the help of a cast of characters that appear on screen, most of whom are Mulvaney in character, but keep an eye out for some famous faces from Mulvaney’s star-studded contacts. An interaction with a Costco doctor is a highlight and indicative of the tone of the whole show – young Dylan has some big questions about her gender identity that the people in her life are ill-equipped to deal with. The show takes us along for the ride as Mulvaney battles through the tundra of twink denial, tackling the bogs of the gender binary, struggling across the plains of trans palatability until she reaches the promised land of… Nuance.

Musical theatre major Mulvaney makes us wait for a song; it’s worth the wait, though, with a mix of funny and poignant songs performed faultlessly. Mulvaney has crafted one of the most uplifting finales I saw this year at the Fringe, as the audience join in karaoke-style with the final anthemic song; the roar from the crowd is a testament to the queer joy that Mulvaney has inspired.

Tom Rogers’ set and costume design is glorious; the slick but relatively small set is used in a variety of ways to create the backdrop for the different parts of Mulvaney’s story. Mulvaney changes in and out of some fabulous costumes on stage, donning and shedding different skins as she weaves her tale. Mulvaney is a breath of fresh air – polished and professional but endlessly charming as she lets us into her world. Mulvaney’s script gives her a lot of room to flex her comedy muscles, and it is a pleasure to see Mulvaney interact with members of the crowd, delivering both script and off-the-cuff comments with wit and charisma.

FAGHAG is a joy to experience, Mulvaney having struck the perfect balance of levity and poignancy. You’ll come away understanding Mulvaney better and desperate to see what this delightful performer does next – the world is her oyster.

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