The crowd came out to play on Friday night, and we were rewarded us with an entertaining, saucy array of burlesque deliciousness. Returning for its third Adelaide Fringe season, the Confessions Club is a safe pair of hands for a night of quality cabaret, in what can be an overwhelming catalogue of options each Fringe.

The night was compered by the dulcet-toned Darcy-Mae, who also co-produces the show with Miss Foxy. After opening the night with a banging rendition of Hey Big Spender (the girl can sing), Darcy Mae took our hands and guided us through a varied spectacle of cabaret, burlesque, music, with a hint of comedy and a touch of kink (thanks to a special guest appearance from LuLu Bell). The numbers sung by cast members including Darcy Mae and Amy Valentine (who skirted the unusual line between comedy, music and burlesque with finesse) offered an extra special quality to the run sheet.

Costumes and glam are top notch (a particular highlight was the vulva-cum-nun’s habit, complete with G-spot) and soundtrack was quality and diverse, though the unusual choice of musical interlude during set changes detracted from the sultry mood slightly.

The large cast spanned an array of styles and experience level (props to the exquisite professionalism of Winchester Angel, and duo Velvet Dolls showed great promise in their debut Fringe season), and the cast all came together as a collaborative and respectful ensemble, with the all-cast numbers offering a particular highlight.

Exploring themes of desire, sexuality consent, submission, the show invited us all to normalise bringing pleasure into our everyday lives. The Confessionals cast expertly demonstrated that sex and pleasure can also be fun and respectful.

The Club is based in the Nexus Arts Centre in the west end, a hidden gem for catching the Fringe vibe without the crowds and fuss of the gardens. While it is too late for you to catch Confessions Club this Fringe season (with their final weekend selling out), if you’re looking for a spicy and great bang- for-buck night out next Fringe, be sure to catch Vol.IV in 2027 (hot tip: arrive early to grab yourself an aisle or front seat if you don’t want to miss any of the floor action or for a chance of audience participation – BYO safe word!).

4.5 stars

By Emma Crotty