Review: "La Petite Mort - The Orgasm"

By Ruth Martin

"A nymphomaniac," purrs Isabel Hertaeg, a.k.a. Ms Heartache, "was defined by Alfred Kinsey as someone that has more sex than you do." This sultry introduction is only the beginning to a whirlwind history of sexuality through cabaret.

One of the best things about the show was that it was not only a cabaret extravaganza of sexual and sensual songs; it was highly sex-positive, provocative and feminist. Hertaeg talks about the history of sex, with 'sex' being defined as purely penis-in-vagina sex in which male orgasm occurs. Over the course of an hour, she details how female sexuality did not rate a mention in the early days of sexual research; and when it was, it was put into medical terms and treated as a medcial condition. She described how there have been periods of history in which women were not encouraged, much less allowed, to enjoy their sexuality, but were instead encouraged to 'alleviate' their 'ailment' through visits to doctors and devices which were the predecessors to the modern vibrator.

Herteag also talked about how, in the past, even though it was taboo to talk about sex, songs and poems could nevertheless be quite explicit in their innuendo. Historically, times which seem to be prudish and non-sexual, such as the Victorian era, were actually obsessed with sexuality. Repression of something that is so core to our humanity meant that it would come out in other ways. Throughout the show, Hertaeg highlighted that, even though Western culture has come so far in terms of moving away from the prudish repression of sexuality - to the point where today Western culture is dripping in sex - not much has fundamentally changed about how we in the West approach our sexuality.

An example of this can be found in the difficulties we face in trying to talk openly and frankly about sex. The messages we're sent are many and contradictory. We find that our schools are lacking comprehensive sex education courses. We have parents who are squeemish about talking about sex with their children. We have countless sexual health campaigns trying to get us to talk with our partners about sexually transmitted infections and the practice of safe sex. We have countless books about the subject and agony aunts (and uncles, I'm sure) coaching individuals through how to pick up, how to do "the deed". We have funny names for sex and the anatomical parts relating to the sexual act. All this despite the assumption that sex is something completely natural and that everyone knows how to do!

Herteag hits the nail squarely on the head when she says that, in all other areas of our lives - from our jobs through to our hobbies - we look for knowledge, expertise and wisdom; yet when it comes to our sexuality, ignorance is not only abundant but often actively encouraged. Given that sexuality is such a basic and intricate part of our lives, this perpetual ignorance and discomfort about sex robs us of the potential happiness and freedom of knowing ourselves fully.

[ For further information, visit the show's MySpace page. ]

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