Indie Vine, Lily Catastrophe and Emma Jean are at the Circus Bar, intent on sharing their TransFormative Experiences. They’re upfront about themselves: Indie and Lily are both transwomen and Emma is CIS. “These two found me in an alley and adopted me,” is the latter’s explanation for her inclusion in the show.

Indie’s on first. Her explanation for her change of state: “Girls have it better.” I wonder if we’re all agreed on that! Her mum evidently had a lot to answer for: guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs, albeit only for her croquet playing. Indie has just one good thing to say about her though and it involves something extremely helpful when discussing details of your operation with a surgeon. Those considering transitioning, take note.

Emma’s next. She introduces herself as and the oldest of the trio, as attested to by a part of her anatomy. She touches on boobs (no pun intended) and puts us through a wince making description of a gynaecological examination involving fifteen medical students. Ouch! Making a speech at her parents’ wedding was a highlight though. One small point: any accent, believe it or not even British, can be unfamiliar to an audience. A slightly slower delivery compensates.

Lily’s last – tells us straight, in more ways than one, from an all-boys school. Learning Latin is helpful if you really want to know the root word for parts of the body. So serious about transitioning that she wore high heels to a place most wouldn’t! More sensibly, she researches what to expect as a woman via algorithms and the internet. I wonder sometimes how those two technologies keep up! And we get further essential information about what you can and can’t ask of your surgeon.

These tips and tricks from three women, whose transformative experiences may not have encouraged us to follow suit, are intriguing and entertaining.  

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