Let’s make the Madonna/Whore complex sexy again! What better way to explore Freud and feminism than through musical comedy and burlesque? Selena Mersey invites the audience along on her journey to prove Freud wrong—that she can be sexy, worthy of respect, and nurturing all at once.

Selena introduces the titular “Madonna/Whore complex,” a Freudian theory that many are familiar with. For context, Freud claimed that a man may lose attraction to a woman over time, seeing her as either a virginal Madonna—worthy of respect but utterly unappealing sexually—or a whore—sexy but unworthy of respect. Selena first began grappling with this idea when her boyfriend moved into her flat, and she found herself, in her own words, turning into his mother.

Her narrative touches on many ideas, but foremost is the Madonna/Whore complex. The fear that becoming the caring, nurturing figure—the “mother”—takes away from her sex appeal. This notion, of course, she quickly proves wrong with a series of clever and undeniably sexy costumes through burlesque and musical breaks. She also swiftly shuts down feminist arguments about why she might feel this way in her relationship. Terms like “emotional labor” and “weaponized incompetence” get tossed around but are dismissed as irrelevant. Selena recognizes that she chose to care for her partner, not because he’s unwilling to do his part, but because she feels it’s fair that she take on the lion’s share of domestic duties while he works and she focuses on her art.

Selena is fabulous, sexy, and hilarious all at once. She’s a stunning singer—I’d happily listen to her sing “Itsy Bitsy Spider”—and, as luck would have it, she’s also a brilliant songwriter. She plays off the audience effortlessly, ensuring any participation is entirely consensual. We find ourselves giggling and oohing at her numerous outfit changes—expect a sexy nurse, a sexy baker, and, of course, the sexiest of all, a sexy Freud, complete with lipstick and nipple pasties.

While the performance is charming and fun, it also highlights an often-overlooked aspect of the feminist argument of choice: the validity of choosing to be a homemaker or to take on the majority of domestic chores. This choice is just as valid as any other and does not make a woman any less worthy of respect. If I have any qualm with the story, it’s that the stakes sometimes feel a bit low. Selena’s partner seems entirely blameless for her unhappiness, and it becomes clear that her struggles are more personal than societal—especially with the reveal that her partner would be more than happy to take on more domestic tasks. Perhaps that’s the point: the show is called Madonna/Whore and is more focused on combining desirability with the respectable “mother Madonna” than on exploring the issues of weaponized incompetence or domestic labor, to which it only gives brief mention.

Sexy, catchy, and hilarious—what better way to prove how wrong Freud was about how sexy Madonna can be than with a live demonstration?