The Dirty Work

Magic, masking and the invisible labour of being seen

Artist: Jo Bannon
Venue: Tramway, Glasgow
Performance reviewed: Thursday, 20 August 2026, 8 pm
Age suitability: 14+
Audience information: Mentions ableism and discrimination; contains smoke, haze, flashing lights and loud noises
Accessibility: Integrated audio description; touch tour and early boarding available for visually impaired and disabled audiences
Show website: The Dirty Work — Jo Bannon
Venue website: Tramway
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

At a glance

Jo Bannon draws on magic, movement and her lived experience of visual impairment. She explores visibility, ableism and the hidden labour involved in navigating the world. Set within a wonderfully theatrical hot-pink world, The Dirty Work is warm, funny and sometimes abstract. Beneath its playful surface lies an unexpected heaviness.

Review

Jo Bannon enters a wonderfully theatrical hot-pink world dressed in a black tuxedo. From the beginning, The Dirty Work plays with the familiar language of magic. There is a white rabbit, a wand, a theatrical reveal and the promise of seeing something impossible.

Bannon borrows the visual language of magic within this theatrical performance piece. She uses illusion to explore her lived experience as a visually impaired performer. The work reveals what often goes unseen when a disabled person navigates the stage and wider world. What appears effortless may require preparation, calculation, masking and assistance from others.

A disembodied female voice speaks to Bannon. Meanwhile, a deadpan stage manager becomes increasingly visible within the performance. Their presence exposes some of the practical work normally hidden behind the curtain. It also raises questions about independence and our assumptions about receiving help.

There are some beautifully strange visual moments. A sequence involving icy water creates a sense of genuine physical discomfort. The recurring white-rabbit imagery draws us further into Bannon’s world of illusion. At one point, the whole audience is encouraged to say “white rabbit” together. This playful interaction creates a sense of collective participation.

One of the funniest moments is an unexpected and wonderfully deadpan dance. Bannon has a warmth that draws the audience towards her. The enthusiastic response shows how strongly people connect with her.

At times, the show’s abstraction makes its direction difficult to grasp. Some of its images and ideas could connect more clearly. Yet perhaps this uncertainty is also part of the point. Sight does not always provide complete understanding. What appears obvious to one person may be experienced very differently by another.

Bannon explores the pressure to appear capable and the labour involved in masking. She also examines the complicated relationship between visibility and being truly seen. The bright-pink surface is playful, but something much heavier sits beneath it. Disabled people must continue to negotiate ableism and discrimination.

The Dirty Work is an imaginative, funny and thought-provoking performance. It asks us to look again at what happens onstage and the work we usually fail to see.

About the reviewer

Ginny Evans-Pollard, also known as Queen Queerlysh, is a queer performance artist, writer, coach and independent reviewer. Her particular interests include feminist, LGBTQIA+, disability-led and socially engaged work.

Discover more about Queen Queerlysh:
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