‘An Exhibit of the Uninhibited: Licentious’ at The Sewing Room is probably the hottest burlesque show I’ve ever seen at a FRINGE WORLD, and certainly the kinkiest. While there is quite a lot of traditional burlesque from hostess Mya Tension’s students, including a fan dance from Jojo Firestar, the show also features bondage, whips, floggers, leather, petplay, and other BDSM themes.

Mya Tension’s banter kept us entertained between acts, three of which particularly impressed me. Peaches and Cream, FRINGE WORLD burlesque show regulars, were probably the pick of the crop (or at least the riding crop) in an act that gave a new meaning to ‘My Pretty Pony’. Ms Miss Boujee B as a leather-clad whip-wielding Catwoman was as agile and flexible as a cat, and as electrifying as she was terrifying, and Evana De Lune performed as vampire to un-die for.

Sitting in the front row as I did is not for the faint-hearted, especially if you’re not sure of the exact reach of the whip Ms Boujee B swings around during her aforementioned Catwoman act (I don’t doubt that she’s expert with it, but I flinched every time). Some front row seats are clearly marked for viewers willing to join in on audience participation, but there were a two-sided pendant these audience members could wear; green for consent, red for no consent – and consent could be withdrawn at any time, using a form of visual safe-word. This struck me as a genuinely brilliant idea, a variant of which could be useful for shows that where some audience members definitely don’t want to participate (stand-up comedians, please note).

The opening night show was jam-packed with appreciative audience members, so book your tickets early - and remember to take your ID, because even sexagenarians were being carded at the door.