As fabulously fierce Anna Piper Scott sees it, trans women like her are allowed three destinies in the stories most commonly reported on by mainstream media: victim, villain or punchline. The first is an ever-exhausting risk, the second sometimes tempting, especially when moles make a mountain out of pronouns. Despite being in the stand-up business – identifying as comedian first, person second while working her way into the industry – being the butt of other folks’ jokes does get tiring (not the first time Dave Chapelle rates a mention this comedy festival). So does the inspiration porn that gives this big-hearted Butterfly Club show its title.
Inspiration or not, Scott is a survivor. While the last couple of years were rough for everyone, she had a shocking time of it. Without giving too much away – it’s her story to tell –Scott does flag, early in her set, that there will be several increasingly dark jokes leading up to a Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette-style moment around the 45-minute mark. Brace yourself, because it’s a doozy of a pin drop moment. As tough as some of this stuff is to hear, Scott puts in the effort to guide her audience safely through it, and there are plenty of rip-snorting moments of gender euphoria to ease the blows.
Some of the sweetest stuff comes from sunnier times, having moved in with a non-binary flatmate and all-round legend Scott lovingly refers to as a chaos demon. There’s also an eye-opening but about the rare industries where women can command higher salaries, which is good news for budding goat herders and, perhaps more surprisingly, would-be demolition crews. There’s an inclusive walk through those tricksy pronouns, emphasising how easy they are to wrap your head around. Scott’s a generous performer who invites you into her world, asks you to take a seat, listen up and look beyond those increasingly ludicrous headlines. Keep your eyes and ears open, because she’s on the way up.