My Life In The Nude

Maude Davey lets us snatch one last glimpse of her body, the one that’s caused wonder for the last 29 years. And not just the outline, nor flirting slivers – this is not striptease; this is life in the nude.

Melbourne-made Davey begins full-monty and remains that way, save for occasional forays into costume and drag. Emphatically selling out the original season of this, her supposedly final show, at La Mama last year, Davey’s return to fortyfivedownstairs as part of the ENCORE program the two venues are running in collaboration is a success and delight.

She couldn’t not be described as exponentially self-effacing and self-honouring in the same breath, an intelligent conceptualist, a ‘cunning linguist’ (as they say) and a quite remarkable physical presence. Her own ‘butoh-inflected’ performances of the early ‘90s, which she satirises, show through in her transportive embodiments and gestures. The audience get willingly involved in body dissolves, storytelling and the supporting vocals of hit Australian anthems (“no way, get fucked, fuck off”). Some brilliant one-liners like “Isn’t a mouth horrible up close, the way it looks like an anus or cunt?” and a deep, dark cameo from Mistress Of The Night, Agent Cleave round out an affecting piece of cabaret certainly ‘worthy of our regard’.

Fortyfivedownstairs to 27 Jul