Welcome to the Edinburgh Flesh-tival

In a Stockbridge church, as many as 150 local women are to take the stage in the festival – dancing energetically in the nude.

From a senior employee of Polygon – publishers of Edinburgh author Alexander McCall Smith – to a yoga instructor, and a New Town mother of four, the first batch of volunteers told yesterday why they chose to bare all in Trilogy.

"We've run through it clothed, and unclothed, and it felt fantastic," said Sarah Morrison. "I am one of the many beautiful women who will dance. We are dancing energetically and vigorously and beautifully."

Trilogy, from the highly regarded Glasgow director Nic Green, is about women coming together "to celebrate the very nature of who they are". It opens with readings from the feminist's bible, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch.

"The Greer quotes are centred around this notion of a perpetuation of self-dissatisfaction, self-devaluation of your own body, fuelled by a notion of feminine ideal that lots of women always feel they are never going to become but constantly strive to be," Ms Green said. "Then we perform this dance where we wobble all our wobbly bits."

There's nothing titillating or sexual about what they're doing, the women stress – nor the irritating coyness of the film and stage hit Calendar Girls. Everything is there to be seen.

Members of the Trilogy cast in their on-stage costumes. Picture: George Macvean

Nudity is hardly new on the Fringe – from late-night cabaret striptease, to The Naked Racist, the bare-all show that won Phil Nicol the festival's top comedy prize in 2006. But not usually mass nudity, with some shows of Trilogy as early as noon. It includes a recreation of a 1970s documentary featuring Greer. But producers appear torn between stressing its serious side, and creating a Fringe sensation.

Nearly 20 female volunteers have signed up for the production's first week. It's hoped the numbers will grow, with a planned grand finale at festival's end of up to 150.

St Stephen's Church in Stockbridge is a regular Fringe venue. The Church of Scotland only asked if the show contained any blasphemy, a Trilogy spokeswoman said.

Sophie Younger, 50, a mother of four boys who has worked in community dance, said the "honesty and integrity" of Green's work was a big draw.

"We are using the stage as a vehicle to say look we are women, and we come in all different shapes and sizes.

Linda Douglas, a Leith social care teacher, and night-time yoga instructor, said:

"I hope no one know actually works out who I am... we're too fast moving around to identity me."

Theatre graduate Rosie Marshall said she did have some second thoughts, but went ahead. The women held their first preview on Sunday night.

She said: "I was thinking 'what shoes will you be wearing?' No, I won't be wearing shoes, you don't have to worry about that."