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Gustavia is a work that mixes slapstick humour with big issues, in the process tackling timeless subjects such as womanhood, death, theatre, performance, self-representation and the role of the artist today. In this duet, the two women play one character - Gustavia - who talks, sings and sheds a tear or two as she shares her worries, small catastrophes and the joys of contemporary art and life. Borrowing from the world of classical burlesque and reminiscent of Buster Keaton, the Marx Brothers and Peter Sellers, the duo uses trademark techniques such as role reversal and punch-and-dodge, transforming incompetence into an art. Repetition and accident make them unexpected heroes of this story. French choreographer Mathilde Monnier has made work to critical acclaim for the past two decades. In this piece she performs alongside old friend, Spanish-born performance artist and agent provocateur La Ribot, best known for merging the boundaries of dance, live art and performance.