Sequins, sporrans, lechery and lap-dancing: why The Lady Boys of Bangkok rule the fringe

Shunned by hipsters, adored by local Scots, they're the fringe's biggest show. How did this retro cocktail of cheesy euphoria become such a phenomenon?

Friday night in Edinburgh and a troupe of transgender Thai showgirls and their kilted male friends - plus Jamie John, a self-described gay dwarf - are onstage in highland regalia swaying to The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond, the words of which are being enthusiastically bellowed by the audience. Part wedding reception, part concert, part cabaret, but with a potent flavour all of its own, this Saltire-flying extravaganza is the climax of the latest show by The Lady Boys of Bangkok, who made their debut in Edinburgh 21 years ago, and have been coming back every year since.

While critics and much of the media have more or less ignored the Lady Boys, they're the biggest show on the fringe, drawing in a cross-section of local Scots. There are grans, family groups, hen parties and young couples tucking into wine and Thai food at tables in a sweltering big top; tourists and London hipsters however, are conspicuous by their absence. "It's one of the things of the fringe, you've got to come and see it," says audience member Gary Erskine during the interval. Will he be going to see much other stuff? "This is pretty much it."