‘A jaw-dropping defence of womanhood, self-discovery, and trans survival’
‘Delusional: I Killed A Man’ defies genres from the get-go. Walking in, the audience are greeted individually by the actor herself: Diana Salles, a kind woman in a beautiful black dress who welcomed us to ‘the funeral’. Before the show began, she interacted with the front row while maintaining an air of sadness and dignity. Every move she made was poised and intentional, graceful and filled with meaning.
The mourner’s dress is quickly stripped off in a series of gravity-defying stunts on a piece of fabric that looks hauntingly noose-like, and the audience are treated to a performance that is naked, raw, earnest in its emotion.
Diana Salles’ performance is not just for those questioning or transitioning gender: it is for anyone who has ever felt themselves change, who has survived hardship, who has felt joy in being true to their own soul.
The venue was perfect for the show, fitting the energy and atmosphere brought by the story and performer herself. It was not an overexaggeration to say that the audience was spellbound by every move Salles made – bounding between dance, physical theatre, aerial rope acrobatics, and spoken word, the actress performed with an ease and charm, and it was no surprise when she received a standing ovation at the end of her show.
For anyone looking for a change from the usual comedy and theatre expected at the Fringe, this is the show for you. Don’t miss it.
(Delusional: I killed a man is a show from Quartier Libre Productions at the Edinburgh Fringe. It is available from the 1st to the 24th of August, excluding the 12th and 19th. Link to tickets is here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/delusional-i-killed-a-man.)