ED FRINGE 2023 REVIEW | My Dad Wears A Dress
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Reviewer - Emmie
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Challenging heteronormativity is at the heart of Maria Telnikoff’s profound one-woman show, My Dad Wears A Dress. Drawing on real-life experience, this piece inspires the audience to look at the trans experience from a different perspective; that of a child with a transgender parent.
What Maria manages to do in such a short space of time is cover a lot of ground in her story. She uses a lot of props and costume changes in order for her to execute the period of time we go back and forth to explore key moments in Maria’s childhood. My Dad Wears A Dress shows the innocence of children who see them as doting parents and nothing beyond that. However, Maria does a great job of touching on how she grows up and becomes more aware of the world she inhabits. She develops a fear of judgement and acceptance, even though one thing never changes.. is that this parent is her dad.
As a 90s kid, the references integrated into this production were so well received by everyone in the room. My Dad Wears A Dress reminded me of last year’s My Sons A Queer But What Can You Do? from Rob Madge and any opportunity to immerse yourself in these stories is important, not just at the Fringe but beyond that.
This production is inspiring but also extremely light-hearted. Maria does a brilliant job of touching on the frustrations of our society and it’s definitely a story that will stay with me for a very long time.
At Underbelly Cowgate until 27 August.
