The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America's First Black Drag Queen
2026 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival
Aug. 16, 2026, 3:58 p.m.
🤯
Mind Blown

If you like storytelling, this show delivers two forms simultaneously. We get to learn about A black drag queen from the 1800s and her surprising story, but we also get to learn about the actors own story. He provides a jarring narrative of what it feels like to be a black man in the United States now and of course the interactions with law-enforcement in some ways, haven’t changed from the historical characters time. What I loved about this show was Masterful creation of two very different characters often in conversation with each other with completely different voices and mannerisms. It’s not often at Fringe that you get an SAG carrying actor on stage who delivers a performance that you’ll pay a lot more at a big name theater to see. This piece also leaves you called to action To open your eyes to the injustice that still exists in North America for BIPOC people.