“A joyous and deeply moving solo show that brilliantly blends camp comedy with a heartfelt exploration of identity and belonging.”
Writer and performer Ryan Stewart brings one-person production Kinder to the Underbelly Cowgate this Edinburgh Festival Fringe, delivering a powerful examination of childhood memories and human identity that arrives with humour, wit and intelligence.
Directed by co-creator Tiah Bullock, Kinder introduces us to Goody Prostate, a drag clown preparing to make their debut at a local ‘reading hour’. Whilst Goody readies a routine of fan-clacking sass and shady put-downs, a phone call from the local library reveals they have spectacularly misunderstood the event. Instead of performing for adults, Goody must quickly devise a new act for a room full of rowdy children and their parents, all whilst protests begin to gather outside the library.
Stewart crafts a fully-realised protagonist in Goody, bringing equal measures of razor-sharp wit and emotional vulnerability as the story unfolds. The foundations are laid with playful audience interaction before launching into a raucous performance of Lady Gaga’s Born the Way banger Scheiße. Drawing the audience in with confidence and charisma, Goody appears in sequinned lederhosen and (p)leather boots on a stage surrounded by removal boxes filled with childhood mementoes and family memories.
As Goody grapples with the prospect of performing in front of an audience of young children under the watchful eyes of judgemental parents, the production opens the door to a thoughtful examination of how childhood experiences leave lasting marks on our identity, self-expression and self-worth. Stewart’s rich and often humorous script explores Goody’s relationship with their parents and their grappling with their own self-identity, whilst adding historical context through queer history. A particularly compelling section focuses on Dr Magnus Hirschfeld’s pioneering Institute of Sexology – a refuge for queer individuals – whose work was brutally targeted and destroyed by the Nazis, giving the production an added emotional and historical weight.
Stewart’s nuanced performance expertly balances cheeky, camp comedy with authentic emotional depth, capturing both the joy and vulnerability at the heart of Goody’s story. Their physicality is particularly impressive, with subtle gestures and expressions communicating as much as the dialogue itself. The humour lands effortlessly throughout, with a lip-sync performance to Eurodisco icon Amanda Lear’s Alphabet proving one of the production’s funniest moments, whilst also serving as the perfect uplifting and empowering finale.
Whilst Kinder excels as a camp and comic drag clown production, it delivers in equal measure as a poignant exploration of how we support queer youth, with its examination of identity, memory and the lasting impact of childhood experiences truly soaring.
Kinder runs at Underbelly Cowgate – Big Belly, Aug 05 – 30 (14:00). Tickets are available here.
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