“something entirely special. A performance As cathartic as it is triumphant. “
*****
A drag act prepares to read their opponent to filth, having been invited to an event in a library. With an hour to go, one phone call punctures Goody Prostate’s well-constructed defences against the unrelenting forces of societal pressure. This is in fact a children’s reading hour, and there are protesters. What unfolds is a veritable thesis through a queer childhood, placed within a context of history, presented in the form of a one-person show.
Due to what I can only assume is a Fringe tech catastrophe, the show begins 35 minutes late and in a different venue. A quick apology is made at the start, and a promise that the tech will ‘try their best’. And that is exactly what was delivered by both artist and team. I can say without hesitation that ‘Kinder’ has changed me. And the standing ovation suggested that I was not the only one left transformed.
“You will know me,” says Goody, standing before us in lederhosen. The costume changes punctuate each sloughed layer of defence as our protagonist experiences all stages of grief. The existential panic is made palpable through Ryan Stewart’s (the creator behind Goody Prostate) incredible, heart-wrenching acting skills.
And yet, there is laughter throughout. The clowning element of this show is present in skilful costume changes, beautiful stagecraft and a gorgeously camp comic timing. Our hero’s journey flits between moments of self doubt as Goody is drawn into childhood memories, before snapping back and making sense of those memories through history, etymology, and the undeniable “wisdom of drag”.
Emotions fill the room like tangible objects as we are educated on a history of belonging, or lack thereof. What might the world look like if all those books were not burned, all that queer history lost. This anchor in German history, juxtaposed against the modern situation Goody finds themselves in, provides a poignant reminder that history can and will repeat itself if not for resistance.
With such a wealth of messaging, it’s important to emphasise the incredible entertainment value throughout. Stewart has created something entirely special. A cry-laugh of a show with gorgeous pay-off beyond the final bow. A performance as cathartic as it is triumphant. Absolutely see it if you can.
Ryan Stewart: Kinder
Big Belly at Underbelly, Cowgate
5-30 Aug | 14:00 (1hr)
Ryan Stewart: Kinder *****
Published on
Edinburgh Fringe 2026 
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