Review: ‘Ugly Sisters’ – Duo Craftily Riffs on Germaine Greer’s Trans Encounter

“Thank you so much for all you have done for us girls.” This line, first uttered to Germaine Greer by a trans woman on the day The Female Eunuch was released in the US, resonates throughout this show from Untapped award winners Charli Cowgill and Laurie Ward.

Greer cited this line in her 1989 article On Why Sex Change Is a Lie, a dehumanizing piece that refers to the trans woman as “it” in “flapping draperies.” As the performance starts, Ward plays the trans woman, and Cowgill embodies Greer. Their adornments are compared: red lips, blonde extensions, and a silk gown versus pearls, tight curls, and the “adult human female” T-shirt—a hallmark of modern Greer followers.

Passages from Greer’s article are sprinkled throughout the performance, with her harsh words juxtaposed against scenes filled with humor and tenderness. Imaginary scenarios of Greer’s accidental death, burial, and resurrection are played for laughs. There is also a charged love scene where the pair wrestle, meld together, and switch roles. Later, a gentle hug with an audience member who braids Cowgill’s hair provides a softer moment as Greer’s words echo onstage again.

The play gives the trans woman a voice: “I make you stupid … stupefied. You don’t know what to do with me.” She offers a broader definition of womanhood, emphasizing agency and joy.

Through movements that blend drag and contemporary dance, the performers navigate the messy, changeable nature of their bodies. Simple scenes evolve into lucid dreams, each building on the last. The duo dissects what it means to be seen by someone who inspired you or by someone you love. They explore the longing to be understood beyond a first glance, while also acknowledging how powerful that first glance can be.

In their portrayal, they extend a generosity to Greer that is glaringly absent from her article. They imagine a shared understanding and ponder ways to move beyond her legacy. The result is an ephemeral, thought-provoking piece.

• At Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh, until 25 August

Source: The Guardian