In any given year at the Fringe you are going to see many performers who are in layer upon layer of nylon clothes, sweating in their plastic ensembles under the lights of a hot Edinburgh back room. Pray for them! Edu Díaz in A Drag is Born has reveal after reveal after reveal in a show that is a lot of fun but sometimes feels as clunky as the quick costume changes.
A Drag is Born by Díaz was inspired by a homophobic attack he suffered a few years ago and sees the Canary Islands-native, New York-based performer share his drag origin story. The beginning of the origin story is perhaps its strongest moment, the lights dim to an empty stage and there is a discomfort that gives way to laughter that only a seasoned performer could magic up.
Díaz then goes through reveal after reveal to impart on the audience what his drag influences are, from the powerhouse ballads of Shirley Bassey to classical mime. This is at least what it feels like he is trying to convey but this is through the audience filling in the gaps. In a show with no dialogue, Díaz’s physicality can sometimes feel confused and not powerful enough to create a narrative through line. In a show that relies on this, it feels like a misfire.
A Drag is Born, ZOO Playground, until 24 Aug (not 12), 6.05pm