Giantess | Cassie Workman

A fable of sorts, a meandering self-portrait, and a delicate story about coming of age and coming into oneself. Cassie is a transwoman, who has been performing as a comedian under her previous identity for ten years, and Giantess was originally conceived as a type of coming-out show. It arrived a little late to be a reveal, but nonetheless serves as a vehicle for expressing her experiences to audiences of fans both old and new.

It is neither scandalous nor tragic, although it offers poignant memories as punctuation to the tale of a little girl, kidnapped by a troll, who will not be released until she finds all the answers, and faces up to her fears. And the answer is revealed through a beautiful show presented as a comedy, but actually a more nuanced performance with storytelling, spoken word, and a fluctuating line of parable.

It is not a comedy, although it is funny. It is not garish, unlike much of the other offerings at this shiny festival. It's a simple tale of self-acceptance, with some insight into the challenges that the gender dysmorphic face in this prejudiced world. It is possible to like oneself, and hate oneself, and love oneself, and despise oneself, all at once. And that is the true value of this show - ultimately, it offers up a message of kindness. Kindness to self, kindness to others, especially those who are 'other'.

In the end, it is kindness, and the lack of it, that lasts and lasts and lasts. Cassie encourages us to be bountiful with it.

Nadia Jade saw Giantess at Brisbane Festival at Theatre Republic.