Femme Fatales: A Dark Fetish Freakshow! is the metaphysical embodiment of the age-old question: does art imitate sexuality, or does sexuality imitate art?

The Femme Fatales that make up this Dark Fetish Freakshow are the defining ingredient to this show.

Over the past ten years or so we’ve all become a lot more familiar with the art of burlesque as it ever so slowly (and sexily) evolved for a more mainstream audience – with performers such as Dita Von Tease inviting us into her world of lingerie, beauty, sensuality and excitement.

What sets this show apart isn’t so much its brand of provocation but instead its performers driving this ever so purpose-built human embodiment of a, “This is what a Feminist Looks Like” t-shirt. Whilst the performers are showcasing vintage burlesque, they are doing it with a message.

Forget your mainstream brand of feminism delivered to you from a burnt bra, and welcome the new age, sex positive feminism – where the bra is part of the show!

The themes Femme Fatales: A Dark Fetish Freakshow! explores are around consent, sensuality, body-positivity, empowerment and of un-shaming ourselves.

F**k conventional thought and understandings around sexuality according to the status-quo. Instead, this show asks that you open your mind to all things kinky, freaky and to instead reserve your judgment for other things – like those among us still grappling with the concept of enthusiastic consent.

The extremely unfortunate thing about Femme Fatales: A Dark Fetish Freakshow! was that they had booked the venue (The Duke of Brunswick) online without seeing the layout, which resulted in a disappearing stage act – meaning, there was no stage, which made it entirely impossible for anyone who wasn’t sitting in the front row to see a lot of the performances. The art of burlesque tends to involve a lot of floor work, but on this occasion, we weren’t able to see what was happening.

The other unfortunate occurrence in the show was the final number. The music stopped, skipped and flatlined during the performance. However, our vivacious MC pushed through. Despite the lack of music, she persevered and overcame – which, ironically, was kind of what the show is all about.

4 stars