Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe, You've Changed stops at The Barber Studio where LEO OWEN caught the show

Written and performed by Kate O'Donnell and taking you on a very personal journey, You've Changed charts the steps and struggles to becoming transgender. In 2003 and at the age of 38, "the penny dropped not far from heaven" as O'Donnell transitioned, visiting a specialist Thai surgeon. Through song, dance and humour, she candidly shares her experience.

Wheeling on mirrored panelling, O'Donnell’s suited helper makes multiple costume changes possible, from tail coats to vibrant feathery ensembles. The rest of the set remains simple, despite the four wardrobe changes in the hour, perhaps emphasising O’Donnell’s need to reinvent herself, much like she has done in life; the projected slide show of pictures of her over the years merging into one another is particularly effective in highlighting her experimentation with identity. Some of the musical and choreographed dance segments drag a touch but O’Donnell’s honesty and humour make for a thoroughly engaging show.

Audience participation is another of the show’s strength, forcing us to experience transgender concerns, from finding the right name to the “heavy admin” and surgery costs. O’Donnell sets up a game of "In for a penny, in for a pound" to guess the cost of a “nose job, boob job and gender reassignment” in 2003. She also bravely uses a modesty box to reveal only her head and naked vagina while highly personal predetermined questions from the audience are fired at her "transgina". A nice final touch is the distribution of copies of her original transgender “to do” list amongst the audience.

Part stand-up, part confessional, You’ve Changed is understandably bitter at times but undoubtedly brave, uncompromising and darkly comic. O’Donnell challenges us to alter the way we perceive transgender people and confront prejudice by leaving us to ponder the effects of her show: "I've changed - have you?"