‘A Body At Work’ // Frankie Van Kan

‘A Body At Work’ was all-baring.

A Body At Work refused to beat around the bush as it strived to destigmatize paying to see bush. Or the naked body in any form. Written and performed by Frankie Van Kan, the one woman show unpacks her sixteen years working in the sex industry as a queer woman, starting in the strip club and eventually migrating into erotic massage. A Body At Work sees Van Kan stripped of her clothes but not her sense of humour. Funny, clever and confident, Van Kan guides audiences through her experiences masterfully, inviting laughter, hooting and hollering whilst still creating space for distinct critique of society’s demoralisation of female sexuality. 

Directed by Maude Davey and playing at Brisbane PowerHouse’s Rooftop Terrace stage, the work was intimately staged. Upon entering the space, audiences were greeted with a small simple stage set with a table on which Van Kan sat applying her makeup. The nature of the space complimented the vulnerability of the piece; Van Kan bared all and did so right in audience’s faces. Any seat in the house is in the splash zone. The only occasional flaw in the composition of the space was the poor sightlines when floor work was utilised. Despite this minor blocking hindrance, the stagecraft was minimalist but highly effective. The occasional shifting of the central table, some alluring physicality and dance, alongside Van Kan’s monologuing saw the narrative flow with ease. 

Further assistance in transitioning each segment of the story was provided through the lighting and sound. Tastefully colourful lights pulsed supported by the low throbbing of club music painted the picture of the strip clubs of Van Kan’s early years in the industry. Providing more than just setting clues, these design elements also created beautiful images. Silhouetted in a dark sultry pink, Van Kan performs a lap dance for a male client, dancing through beams of lights creating a dappled effect whilst describing her desire for her girlfriend. The soundscape also proved to create moving moments. For the most part, it consisted of various music tracks but during the final act, a tonal switch occurs with the playing of a heartbeat.  

It’s not just moving but also a beautifully executed bookending as the piece rounds out with Van Kan’s long yearned for pregnancy. The heartbeat is, of course, her child’s and her opening statements about her ‘big vagina’’s fitness for birthing will become a reality. A Body At Work sees Van Kan’s journey from losing her virginity to her highschool boyfriend to maturing into her thirties on the cusp of motherhood. We witness Van Kan unpack her own identity, draw her own boundaries and realise these things don’t need to be governed by societal stigma. From recognising her own pleasure and desires, Van Kan can determine which of her boundaries she actually wishes to uphold or in her own words, which are just lines in the sand waiting to be washed away by the waves. Whorephobia is an instilled result of a society that fears sex and pushes the narrative that pleasure and instincts are something to be mistrusted. A Body At Work questions this narrative and reminds audiences that there is nothing wrong with following a path that feels right for you.

A Body At Work performs until Saturday 2nd November at Brisbane PowerHouse’s Rooftop Terrace. For more information visit their website.