Sometimes you see a show and it makes you think about it for days. Weeks. Months. A show like that changes the way you see things. A show like that is crucial.

Embarrassed Naked Female is that show.

Elsa Couvreur is an accomplished, award-winning performance artist whose work has taken her to festivals across the globe and garnered plenty of accolades. It has also attracted a whole lot of unwanted attention.

In 2020, during the Covid lockdown, Elsa made her rave-reviewed solo show The Sensemaker temporarily available online and the video quickly became highly sought-after content in certain corners of the internet – all because of five minutes of nudity in it.

She embarked on a quest to have the images and videos taken down. This process invited discussion, argument, resistance, and also exposed an enormous amount of misogyny and rape culture.

In her lecture-style show, Elsa tells the story of how it happened, how she felt, and what happens next.

Embarrassed, Naked Female (this show contains nudity) is funny, thoughtful, powerful, and very important.

It doesn’t matter who you are, you need to see this show. You need to see what is happening in those corners of the internet and if you are one of the people lurking in those corners, you need to hear about the impact of your actions and have this mirror held up to you.

As someone who didn’t grow up with the internet, I realised I have my head buried in the sand. This show pulled me out and I’m glad it did.

In the age we are currently in, there is a very real feeling that people on the internet can do whatever the hell they want. Hiding behind usernames and anonymity, they are getting away with actual crimes because the law hasn’t caught up with the speed of cyberspace.

Women, children and vulnerable people are at risk as a result. Really at risk.

But nothing will change until we get mad and we make it change. In short, we need a hero. And by god, is Elsa Couvreur a hero.

To say I was shocked and infuriated by the way Elsa has been treated is an understatement. Rather than sitting in a theatre at Gluttony listening to a lecture-style show delivered by gentle-voiced actor, I initially felt like I was sitting in a history class hearing about a lawless time in a distant past where chaos reigned supreme. The Wild West, perhaps. The Middle Ages. The savage and barbaric centre of the Colosseum. Or some dystopian future.

But it’s now. It’s happening. And things need to change. Shows like this make change, but only if you watch. In fact, lots of stuff happens because you watch. That’s the point of this show.

With an absolute corker of an ending that will have you jumping out of your seat and hollering for the revolution, Embarrassed Naked Female (this show contains nudity) is exceptional. Clever, funny, powerful.

See it. Please.

5 stars

Embarrassed Naked Female (this show contains nudity)

Tickets here

Libby Trainor Parker