Theatre-goers leaving the Palais des Glaces - or Palace of Ice - after the show hailed it a success, despite having to bring their own towel to sit on.

The title 'Nu et approuve', which translates as nude and approved, plays on words of 'Read and approved', commonly used in France for signing official documents.

The one-off show,a farce which mocks those who object to the naturist lifestyle, is about a brother and sister who find themselves on opposing sides of prickly social issues, especially nudism, which they must get naked to overcome.

The squabbling siblings 'have to drop their masks and bare all to find a more relaxed common ground'.

It was the first all-nude show in a major venue in the French capital.

The producers insisted that the audience must strip off to see the play, and that everyone must bring their own towel - for hygiene reasons.

VIPs, however, were provided with their own microfibre seat covering.

Cedric Amato, the head of a Paris nudist group, who braved a forecast of snow to attend, said: 'There is no better way of laughing than to laugh in the nude.'

Nudists gave the show the thumbs up. 'I really enjoyed it,' one middle-aged woman said, while Amato said it was important because 'it is a way for us also get to talk about our lifestyle and our needs'.

'We need to break the social codes to be ourselves in a place like this and have a good time,' he added.

Naturists have been pushing to make their lifestyle more mainstream in Paris, with stand-up comedy nights, naked museum visits and a dedicated nudist zone in the city's biggest park.

However, the French capital's first nudist restaurant, O'Naturel, will close next month because it could not put enough bums on seats.

Daily Mail

More about: France