REVIEW – THE BLEEDING OBVIOUS – EDINBURGH FRINGE

‘Life is never quite as straight as it seems’ states Jessica.

The Bleeding Obvious is a one-woman cabaret by Yorkshire lesbian Jessica Rowbottom. During an hour, filled with original songs and her own stories, we are taken on a journey of life as a genderqueer person in a very binary world.

Rowbottom discusses coming out, and how as a genderqueer person you have to come out twice. She speaks of the usual comments and questions which are asked when you come out. Such as, ‘you’re just doing this because it’s cool’, ‘it’s just a phase’ and ‘does this mean you fancy me?’ She speaks of the struggles of being a child of the 80s with no trans, bi and femme lesbian role models.

Musically, Rowbottom is incredibly talented, switching between the keyboard and the melodica, her songs are catchy with honest lyrics. Her stories are important and definitely should be told. I did feel like there was something missing from the performance, and some of the funny anecdotes and jokes did not land as intended. But regardless, The Bleeding Obvious is a joyful show with a heart of gold.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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