Cecilia Gentili’s Red Ink.  * * * * *

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Cecilia Gentili was an Argentinian trans woman who moved to the United States, undocumented, at the age of 26. She was a sex worker, but following her recovery from drug addiction, she became a trans and AIDs activist, and a campaigner for sex workers’ rights.

She was a legendary figure in New York queer circles, both as a celebrity and a crusader for LGBTQ+ causes.

She performed regularly in nightclubs and had a part in the Ryan Murphy series “Pose” as Ms.Orlando, a character who sells cheap plastic surgery to trans women.

She originally staged “Red Ink” off-Broadway in 2023. It was based on her memoir “Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist”, which won the 2023 Stonewall Book Award.

She died suspiciously of a drug overdose in New York in February 2024, aged 52. Two men were charged with maliciously supplying her with heroin laced with fentanyl.

Her funeral at St.Patrick’s Cathedral which was covered by Vogue, was attended by over a thousand people who eulogised her as “Saint Cecilia, Mother of All Whores”

“Red Ink” a replica of her one woman show sharing her outrageous tales of life growing up in Argentina, is brought to the Fringe in a production by Breaking the Binary Theatre, Elliot Page PAGEBOY Productions, Sam Ramirez, Queer Arts Coalition and Nic Cory.

“Cecilia’s voice was raw, brave and necessary and this piece carries that same spirit” says Elliot Page.

Cecilia is played exuberantly by her chosen daughter Chiquitita. It is a fitting homage to a much loved mother.

Chiquitita appears on stage, fierce, and fabulously statuesque, in a sexy see through baby doll outfit and come-fuck-me platform shoes, ready to slay…and she does!

She begins each story with “ I am an atheist ” but each of her tales ends with reason for doubt.

Firstly we hear of her miraculous release from custody at JFK after she is refused entry to the US because of her criminal convictions.

Then we are taken back to her childhood in rural Argentina and are introduced to her devilish nemesis, a nurse and midwife called Delia Marchesi.

Rejected as the Virgin Mary in a school nativity play she steals the show as a King in make up, turban and jewels. Jewels feature again when the pastor of the local Baptist church criticises her grandmother for letting her grandson wear jewellery. The Catholic Church doesn’t get off lightly either as we hear the painful details of Cecilia’s first confession.

At seventeen she is saved from military service when a body  examination shows an abnormally stretched anus. This leads to her application papers being completed in red ink rather than the normal blue, a sign that she is homosexual.

Shortly after this, the teenager moves to Rosario City where she is overjoyed to meet another trans woman for the first time. This woman offers her new clothes, make up, hormones, silicone and surgery. To pursue this transformation however, she must be prepared to “become a whore, use drugs and die young”.

Cecilia’s journey of discovery concludes with a hilarious pornographic account of how she took control of her body and made the decision to always charge for sex.

“Red Ink” is funny, gloriously extra and sex positive, and Chiquitita is a supernova waiting to explode into the queer universe. (Netflix take note)

This is a show which should not be missed. Tell your friends!