Review: The Wau Wau Sisters are as Naked as the Day They Were Born Again!

by Jane

According to all evidence, the day the Wau Wau Sisters were born, they were covered in glitter.  But apart from all this glitter, they were very very naked.  Lest anyone think this is a show about the sisters being Born Again, I feel that there should be some punctuation in the title: As Naked As The Day They Were Born, Again!

Although it would be rather hilarious if an evangelical Christian group thought an 11:30pm (veering on the side of 12am) show in the Garden of Unearthly Delights was about two women being born again, and walked in to that.  (And there is a nice parallel which could be drawn from their past show The Last Supper … )

So assuming you are at least somewhat versed in the Fringe (whether that be Adelaide or other I don’t suppose it would matter), I’m going to guess that you figured The Wau Wau Sisters are as Naked as the Day They Were Born Again! did involve copious amounts of nudity.

What you may not assume (because, perhaps, with the Fringe, these assumptions are better left untouched) is that nudity 1) is the very first thing you see in this show – no time for a strip tease here, and 2) is wonderfully, delightfully, marvelously captivating and fun and funny.

This picture is called "Cowgirls trying for it all to be okay" Photo by Don Spiro

When they arrived for last year’s Fringe, the sisters’ suitcases never showed up, and the duo received much publicity as their producer Daniel Clarke (@danioclarke) “tweeted the shit out of it”.  This year –  would you believe it! – the same thing has happened, and to save trouble they are doing the show sans clothes. When Clarke bursts in part way through the show with the finally arrived suitcases, it seems as if the day is saved – they can wear their costumes after all!  But no, that would be far too easy, wouldn’t it?

An almost reverse burlesque is brought to the show as Adrienne Truscott and Tanya Gagnes tease the audience as they get dressed.  The show in the always magical Spiegeltent  is peppered with acrobatics on the trapeze, or on each other, Country and Western songs which are perhaps just a little bit wrong (who doesn’t love that great family song classic, You Cut the Cocaine, and I’ll Cut the Cheese?), a healthy dose of audience participation from two very willing and generous men, and, of course, more nudity.

I laughed so loud and so hard their were almost tears.  The Wau Wau sisters are fantastically funny and cleaver, and they delight – just as the audience delights – in this free nudity which isn’t really about anything more than can’t it be fun to be naked?

Daniel Clarke presents The Wau Wau Sisters are as Naked as the Day they were Born Again! The Garden of Unearthly Delights, nightly at 11:30 until 27th Feb (excluding Mondays). More information and tickets.