Dylan Mulvaney’s one woman musical, FAG HAG, made its Edinburgh debut last night.
When I entered the theatre, I was greeted by a candy-floss pink bar set and Mulvaney herself, dressed as an angel. She was extraordinarily nice, walking through the audience, helping big groups (like my friends and me) find space to sit next to each other.
Her autobiographical one-woman show deals with her most important relationships at different points in her life. From God, to her mother, to her best friend Lily, to herself, Mulvaney takes her audience on a journey through her life, pre and post transition. Deftly using pre-recorded clips of Mulvaney as various other characters (A stoner Costco physician and an overly southern talk show hostess are two standouts), the show manages to feel much bigger than its one set and one actress.
The show drags just a bit in the middle in comparison to the strength of the emotional final third. When Mulvaney goes to take “Twink”— the prescribed pill to keep her gender dysphoria at bay— for the fourth time, I felt myself going, again? But the few slow moments are dwarfed by the successful ones.
You could feel the audience waiting with bated breath to see if she was going to address her cancellation, and the collective “mmhmm” when Dylan, talking about her newfound internet fame, pulls out a case of beer (a clear reference to her 2023 brand deal with Bud Light that left her a social pariah) ushers in the incredibly strong final third of the show.
The audience feels her fear after her “cancellation” and the new, more nuanced perspective on womanhood she gained from the whole experience. It’s easy to forget subjects of conservative vitriol are in fact, real people, even if they have millions of followers online, but Mulvaney reminds us of her personhood.
You feel her love for musical theatre, the queer community, and especially for her friends, throughout the entire show. Mulvaney radiates joy throughout, and her joy is contagious. She is funny, she is charming, she is a talented performer, and she is a woman!
FAG HAG is an extremely polished, slightly millennial, very impressive debut show from one of the internet’s most talked about women. I left wanting only the best for Dylan, and I imagine the show will only get better throughout its run.
FAG HAG is on from the 1 to 25 August at 21:40 in Assembly George Square Studios Studio Two.
Photos by Marc Brenner Courtesy of Assembly Festival Press Office