Oli Fuller
A heartwarming and comforting show about overcoming shame and allowing yourself to be guided through the darkness to find your community.
Trans Butch: Glorious Dog Woman is a stripped back hour of stories, guidance and community, let by Ash Ruth, the self described mother butch, as she takes you through the history of werewolf movies and its failures to achieve the Bechdel test, moments in her life that have brought her shame and advice she has for members of the crowd to overcome where they have felt shame.
Ash Ruth is a captivating storyteller and comes across as such a deeply comforting presence throughout this 50 minute show. She is the queer agony aunt we all need, making the audience feel safe while delving deep into what it means to feel shame and she finds the brightest moments of comedy in her own most embarrassing moments. She has also succeeded in creating the most neurodivergent accessible show I have ever seen, allowing the audience to message her their shameful secrets privately, and allowing them to keep that privacy if they chose as she reads them out and provides advice. She also explicitly states that this is a space where you are free to move around, go on your phone and be wholly yourself in whatever way makes you most comfortable.
The message of this piece is to overcome our shame and to unite together to create the transinclusive werewolf story we all deserve, and through delving into her special interests, guiding us through our troubles and promoting community and peace she absolutely, clearly brings this message to the audience. She also provides trans members of the audience with an outlet for freedom, allowing them to write their deadnames on a piece of paper which she later takes to Arthurs Seat to burn and release into the ether, freeing us from the past which we were once tied to.
Ash Routh has created a comforting and joyous piece of communal relief, in times which remain deeply troubling for the queer community, and provides a place where we are all safe to be ourselves.
Recommended Drink: A warm sweet cup of tea, straight from the dog bowl.
Performances of Trans Butch: Glorious Dog Woman has now concluded at EdFringe 2026.
Eve Miller
