SHE: The Extraordinary Journey of an Ordinary Transgender Woman – Review
Image: Katherine Wolfgramme Facebook
Wrapped in a glittery 1920s-style flapper dress, illuminated by the red lighting of the Cabaret Room at the Castlereagh Boutique Hotel, trans-activist Katherine Wolfgramme took to the stage to tell us her journey.
Emotional and informative, SHE: The Extraordinary Journey of an Ordinary Transgender Woman is a well-told journey from gender dysphoria to gender euphoria, underpinned brilliantly by Katherine’s deeply self-aware sense of humour.
A Truly Essential Experience
SHE is a 60 minute, TED talk adjacent presentation detailing Katherine’s many ups, downs, and in-betweens on her way to where she is today.
The main draw is obviously Katherine herself. A calm presence on that stage, despite a deep-lying sense of tragedy and hardship underpinning the performance. If there is one thing Katherine does better than anything, it’s lending empathy to an experience many might otherwise struggle to relate to.
“My first experience is that I was not a woman,” she told the audience, before launching into a passionate yet warm recount of her life.
From her deep depression as a teenager, to her time as a showgirl in the Sydney and Perth gay scenes, the story is centred on Katherine’s journey from dysphoria to euphoria, and to actualise the dream she had as a teenager where she, “saw Katherine and she was beautiful and she was happy.”
Though deeply personal, SHE serves as a pathway to empathy for the trans experience, making it truly essential to check out at this year’s Fringe Festival.
