Critic Reviews

Led by a brilliant Howard, who portrays Byron from adolescence through to coming out as a trans woman – What It Feels Like for a Girl is evocative of the edgy BBC Three series that millennials grew up on, shows like Conviction and Lip Service.

A few fewer X-rated moments might not have gone amiss. .... However, Howard is magnetic as the sassy, sarcastic Byron. Largely through the force of that performance and regardless of the ongoing debate around trans rights, their story has the sprinkled-in-stardust quality of a real-life fairytale.

This is a raw drama that could easily have been depressing (and at times it is), but ends up ultimately being a buoyant story of resilience.

It’s certainly a wild ride – I’ll struggle to look at a toilet brush the same way ever again – but if you stay on board until the end, a memorably complex psychological portrait will be your reward.

While the drama doesn’t fall into the trap of educating or being overtly political, it’s an overdue examination of how being lower class intersects with sexuality and gender identity… while also being an utter riot.