Headliners is an extravaganza of acrobatic striptease acts in (well, eventually mostly out of) amazing costumes, interspersed with stand-up comedy by drag queen MC Bebe Gunn. It features the Perth debut of San Francisco’s Burlesque Queen and Miss Exotic World Frankie Fictitious (in two spectacular acts), as well as Las Vegas Burlesque Hall of Famer Trigger Happy and several other phenomenal performers with improbable names.

Energy levels were high both on and off-stage, with the audience exhorted to keep clapping and cheering. Mostly, though, audience participation wasn’t required unless you were sitting in the VIP seats in the front row (hey, you knew the job was dangerous when you took it), though some people from further back managed to get drawn into the show by their own efforts.

It’s not recommended for people who’re easily offended: if you removed the fart joke, the d**k jokes and every time Bebe said “f**k”, the show would be ten minutes shorter and no one would have needed to put their hand up to ask permission to go for a pee before the finale. Yes, that actually happened, and no, I can’t explain it, and it wasn’t even the most astonishing thing that happened on opening night. And I’m not talking about the act that would have electrified any latex fetishists in the audience and possibly created a few new ones. No, I’m talking about the fan dancer: I could tell you more, but that would ruin the surprise. There are some strobe and smoke effects, but not enough to seriously annoy me.

If you enjoy burlesque or want to broaden your horizons a little, you won’t want to miss this show. It goes beyond risque to a bit kinky and occasionally crass, but it’s a night out that you are going to remember for a very long time.