REVIEW: Bi-Curious George: Snail Trail, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★★

Would you like to rub slime all over yourself? Finding the precious and sensuous (snails and trans people) in something others find repelling, Bi-Curious George’s Snail Trail is a masterful lesson in empathy, curiosity and slowing down.

From his first slow-motion entrance, George invites us into his world; he meets the audience with an openness and childlike wonder that makes us feel immediately at ease. Even as we learn about the trickier aspects of his existence, that sense of safety never falters; if you take nothing else from this show, it’s an hour to calm your nervous system amidst the EdFringe mania.

Snail Trail is so much more than this. Where George’s previous show Queer Planet was a more general exploration of queerness in nature, Snail Trail is a personal dive into trans-masculinity inspired by the writer-performer’s own experience – through the lens of snail.

It’s a show lovingly constructed with the help of voiceovers, musical interludes and so much slime which, at one point, comes out of a Lucozade (mucus-ade?) bottle. All this contrasts with moments where the shell literally comes off and George simply speaks to us, sharing his experience with transitioning.

We learn early on that snails are hermaphrodites and yet George points out he’ll be using he/him pronouns so as not to be confusing. This is said with no frustration or accusation and cleverly highlights the fact that the gender binary is man-made rather than inherent or natural.

It’s a foundation that George builds on as he talks about the slowness of transition and the revelation that, contrary to what people might expect, so much joy, peace and excitement is to be found in the changing itself. It’s not a race towards an end goal but rather a slowing down that allows you to stop escaping from yourself.

Snail Trail‘s sincerity never becomes condescending, self-involved or indulgent; George brings a gentle but solid vulnerability to the stage that is a rare gift to experience. Simultaneously, the snail-based sections of the show break any tension and have the audience dancing along in their seats, cheering and squealing because who knew that snail drag could be so hot?

Sexuality is explored too when George finds the trail of another snail, sharing more fascinating facts about how snails mate, and once again finding ways of linking this to transness and the many changes that come with transitioning. Yet the sexy slime trail also leads to an examination of how humans treat snails: stepping on them, picking them off plants. Instead of allowing them to co-exist with the rest of us… you do the math.

What’s more, not only does George have a gorgeous voice, the occasional voice crack actually adds to the performance as it is so rare to see a transmasculine person singing on stage. In this way, the voice cracks are a prime example of how all the elements of this show work together in harmony, enhancing each other and creating a deeply moving, informative and entertaining experience whether you’re cis, trans, snail or still figuring it out.

Recommended Drink: Lucozade Sport Ice Kick. Am I recommending Lucozade with every trans show I review? Maybe.Luzozade should sponsor all trans shows, thank me later.

Catch Bi-Curious George: Snail Trail at Pleasance Courtyard between August 5-31 at 15:00 (60 minutes). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.