Adelaide’s resident sexologist Jamie Alexandra brings us a unique hybrid of live music, live music and public speaking in CUSP, a captivating celebration and deliberation on human intimacy. Brimming with sensuality and playfulness, this is one sexy public service announcement you’d hate to miss.
CUSP is a sex ed lecture dressed as a moonlit cabaret show, and The Jade is a sumptuous choice of venue; lush curtains, chandeliers and decorative lights surround the tables on all sides with decorative roses. A fabulous live jazz band accompanies the production and serenades the audience upon entry, complete with baritone saxophone. It's a suitably intimate environment, and as welcoming to the ears as it is to the eyes. Jamie herself delights as an enchanting hostess and her playful, alluring personality sells the show on every front. Clad in a golden dress and an open mind, she woos us with a beautifully husky voice and a delightfully coquettish stage persona. Her intimacy is not bound to the stage, as she saunters around seats to get up close and personal with her captivated audience.
Armed with her academic background in tow, Jamie shares her hypothesis on the liberating nature of sex positivity, a much-needed element missing from our discourse in sex education. She extrapolates to the complexities of individual tastes, our understanding of our bodies and how we relate to others. She is particularly interested in the opportunities to explore ourselves through new frames of reference and to not fear the change that a more sex-positive society posits for the future. In turn, she encourages us to consider a more nuanced perspective, one less tainted by tradition and prejudice and one more open to the possibilities. She also touches on important points about power imbalances and gender discrimination, recounting deeply intimate details of her own personal struggles.
Nuanced discussions around sexuality are essential for the public good, though in their complexities, can also be easily mishandled in the wrong hands. But Jamie has a special knack for guiding the audience through her talking points, with a dash of feisty humour and pointedness for good measure. Her appreciation for sexual freedom and her unbridled enthusiasm is a joy to behold. And her skills as a burlesque performer help anchor the show within its cabaret aesthetic. A bit of striptease here, and a bit of visual humour there; it's an excellent melding of performance art and public seminar.
Whether you're an openly liberated person or a curious late bloomer, you’ll adore Jamie and her brand of sensual sex ed. It’s an hour of beautiful jazz music and song, paired with a refreshing exploration of the human condition. If you entered the room dry before, you're bound to be wet when you leave.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS ****1/2