That s Why The Lady Is A Boy

It s late August, and I m in a bar in Edinburgh with two Asian lovelies. The girls are flirtatious and ridiculously pretty, one dressed in a tartan mini-skirt and belly top, the other in white PVC shorts and matching thigh boots.

Although they re both in their mid-twenties, they have the frankly unsettling sexiness of teenage girls and they re quite aware that I m slightly fazed by this. I decide that my companions are a little too cute, and probably too clever for the likes of me, and bid them goodnight. I will admit though that I was seriously tempted. And no, the fact that they used to be men doesn t bother me at all
Fia and Anh are part of the cast of Ladyboys Of Bangkok, the Philip Gandey production that s playing to rave reviews in Edinburgh. Incorporating mime, comedy and theatre, the show is performed by a troupe of native Thai artists including the eponymous ladyboys of the title.
Accompanied by my minder/driver Max, a Swiss acrobat whose wife swallows swords for a living, we are seated in front of the stage as the opening number Welcome To Thailand commences. I can t believe it s not butter. Seriously, these are some of the best looking girls I ve ever seen in my life, escorted by some equally beautiful male dancers, who perform a traditional dance routine that s more The King And I than the cheesy lap-dancing bump-and-grinds of Bangkok s Pat Poy clubs.
Attired in a slightly more revealing version of Thai national dress, the performers weave across the stage, scattering rose petals in their wake and burning opium-scented incense. For the moment at least, I fix my gaze firmly on the faces of the girls, whose serene expressions and fluid movements remind me of ballerinas. Max informs me that not all of the girls in the production are post-op transsexuals, but I m blowed if I can spot the difference.
Next onstage is Joon, whose version of All Or Nothing is high camp comedy complete with a foray into the audience where she flirts outrageously with your put-upon journalist, to my absolute embarrassment and the extreme amusement of everybody else in the room. From here on in the numbers range from drag stalwarts such as I Am What I Am to chart hits like Man I Feel Like A Woman and Sex Bomb , in which both male and female performers gradually reveal more and more of their delectable charms, seducing the crowd with a combination of flirtatiousness and bawdy humour.
A particular highlight of the show is Sakd s version of My Way , in which the drag diva transforms herself into a man onstage. By the time we get to One Night In Bangkok , the audience are singing along and dancing with the cast in the aisles.
Talking later to promoter Phillip Gandey, he explains that the ethos behind the show was to produce a cabaret revue to showcase the talents of the Thai performers, while avoiding the sleaziness that some associate with Bangkok nightlife.
After the show I chat to Fia and Anh who are quite forthcoming about their gender status. They say they ve always known that they were really girls, and are perfectly happy with their lives. When I ask if they ve both had surgery they collapse in giggles and ask if I can t tell? The honest truth is I can t. While there s no denying that the popularity of gender changing surgery in the Far East is a difficult concept for many in the west to fathom, I ve seldom met a couple of happier, funnier and downright gorgeous girls.
The company are looking forward to their first visit to Dublin, for a limited run in the Tivoli Theatre from September 14th. I ve already booked my table and unhesitatingly recommend the production to all fans of camp capering. Like the flyer says, you ll never look at the opposite sex in the same way again