Skin Hunger is a tale of grief and self (re)discovery. The one-woman show centres on Eva (Tatiana Hotere) after the death of her husband. Her upbringing and the gender roles culturally instilled haunt her decisions as she uncovers the desires of the flesh. The play begins at a great intersection in life (a spouse’s death and widowhood) and how no one warns about how the grieving and loss can cause the desire for physical pleasure. This point is made hilariously clear with the opening dash to find garments to cover herself to answer the door for a parcel that turns out to be the arrival of numerous sex toys she had been encouraged to buy. The narrative travels through Eva’s past to assist in framing the dilemmas she is currently facing. It explores the punishment received as a teen in Brazil for simply seeking the happiness and freedom of dancing. It outlines how her New Zealand husband and herself came to meet and the passion that existed within their marriage. Skin Hunger is a gentle, often humorous guide through grief. The no sex before marriage, the harlot or virgin ideals reinforced became the invisible framework to break away from. As the play does state, it always discusses the woman’s body before marriage but never after it, leaving Eva to explore and take the audience on that journey with her. Hotere’s performance was an incredible display of characterisation. Her entire demeanor, voice, and inflections shifted effortlessly between the many characters the audience was introduced to. The body language and voice encapsulated so many unique qualities of each character. The narrative is a well-written tale of self-expression. It dutifully and comically strips away the taboos of a widow’s sexuality and into the complexities of the individuality of a surviving spouse. Skin Hunger at the Fringe Festival is the first chance to experience the performance outside of New Zealand.