Currently streaming as one of the free shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Online@theSpace, Sexpert Madame K is a silly and provocative fifty minute show directed by Ed Malone.
Madame Krista Komondor is doing God’s work, rescuing “le coqs” and guiding them to rehabilitation and good manners. They are given outfits to wear, have names and treats, are are rewarded for good behaviour.
Strictly for adults, there is a serious message hidden amongst all the bouncing appendages, who chatter, bitch and have their own neuroses to deal with.
Sexual power and domination, and respect for women, is in the forefront and despite a light touch and a circus atmosphere, the message may stick with viewers.
There is some stark “training” imagery relating to bondage and caging, as well as more explicit eroticism around biting, sucking and licking.
This is a simple production, with one actor on screen (aside from one sequence around a public health message, always as Madame), and suction puppets representing the various coqs in residence.
It could be a bit more slapstick and fun alongside the surreal and darker moments, but Sexpert Madame K makes its mark in a particularly original way, reducing the male psyche to one body part which needs to be controlled.
Whether such discussions should also encompass the complexity of sexual desire between all forms of couples is debatable, and it feels at one point we have tuned in to a different show, but Komondor’s performance behind glasses and red lipstick makes Madame a clown classique.
Fringe rating: ***
You can stream Sexpert Madame K at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe until the end of August: book your ticket here.