REVIEW: Alex Franklin: Kiss Me x, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★

How do you make a show about something as universal as kissing, unexpected and new? Ask Alex Franklin and she might tell you, but she’ll take you on some truly unexpected detours along the way.

Against the backdrop of anti-trans legislation and rhetoric, Kiss Me x is a whirlwind stand-up comedy show that covers everything from beavers returning to the UK after over 400 years, to the fetishisation of trans bodies. How do you navigate dating as a trans woman in 2026? What information do you owe a potential date? And… why are all trans people so hot?

From the moment Franklin steps onto the stage, she introduces the audience to her personal brand of well-organised chaos. With endless tangents, side notes and wordplay that needs pointing out to even be registered. Someone unfamiliar with her work might think that she has no clue what she’s doing, but the fact is that everything is deliberate.

There is a persistent sense that the truth is being played with, from very obvious lies (a pre-pre-pre-transition photo namely) to more subtle but recurring ‘facts’ about our host that may or may not be true.

This approach to storytelling not only keeps you at the edge of your seat but seems in itself a commentary on the way trans people, trans women specifically, are often expected to offer up personal information. Franklin also highlights early on and throughout the show that she is Chinese and, at times, replaces ‘trans’ with ‘Chinese’ to point out how ridiculous certain questions or arguments are.

Despite all the playful subversion of the truth, Franklin also grants us genuine glimpses of vulnerability. I shan’t spoil the ending, but whilst still being very funny there is a tenderness in the closing of the show I hadn’t expected. It’s the chef’s kiss culmination of a story that is about so much more than kissing.  

The moment that most stayed with me however is a song I never want to hear again. One of Franklin’s musical numbers is made up of comments and messages she has received on social media: from overtly sexual advances to blatant transphobia. Presenting the different sides of this same dehumanising coin is sobering and really changed the vibe in the room. It powerfully succeeded in bringing home Franklin’s point: that being the target of transphobia, whether it comes packaged as fetish or villainy, will impact your day-to-day life, including your dating experience.

Weaving this sincerity into a comedy show and still managing to bring the mood around again to end on a light-hearted note takes some skill, but that is something Franklin has plenty of. Whether you identify as trans or an ally, her unique and disarming sense of humour is bound to make you laugh.

Recommended Drink:Alex Franklin loves a Lucozade, so why not bring one to the show?

You can catch Alex Franklin: Kiss Me x at Jelly Belly at Underbelly, Cowgate from August 5-30 (not 17) at 14:25 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.