Strut and Fret's latest creation arrives just in time for Mardi Gras
Sydney has long prided itself on its nightlife culture, but the city's after-hours entertainment landscape has arguably become spartan, and sometimes dull, in recent years. Late Night Vice, arriving in Sydney following sold-out seasons in Melbourne and Brisbane, represents a deliberate counter-movement, an unapologetic celebration of adult entertainment as legitimate theatrical art.
Produced by Strut and Fret, the company behind the acclaimed Blanc de Blanc Encore, Late Night Vice carries the production house's reputation for sophisticated circus-cabaret fusion while pushing significantly further than previous work. Where Blanc de Blanc offered elegant burlesque-adjacent entertainment, this new production acknowledges its X-rated nature directly, positioning itself as a performance for audiences seeking something genuinely transgressive rather than merely risqué.
The timing alongside Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival is both commercially savvy and culturally significant. Mardi Gras has long celebrated the full spectrum of queer identity, desire, and self-expression, and a production that refuses to apologise for adult content aligns naturally with the festival's spirit of liberation. The production's emphasis on mystery and exclusivity (no phones, no cameras) creates an environment where audiences can engage with provocative material without the anxiety of digital documentation.
The cast demonstrates that adult entertainment and genuine artistic skill are not mutually exclusive categories. Jake DuPree's presence as headliner (the first non-binary performer to appear at Paris's legendary Crazy Horse) establishes immediate credentials in international performance art. DuPree's inclusion signals a production that understands burlesque and cabaret as art forms with serious history, not merely titillating spectacle.
Ruby McQueen's aerial strap work brings circus virtuosity to the program, while her background in New York nightlife connects Late Night Vice to the world's most celebrated cabaret tradition. The physical demands of aerial performance remain extraordinary regardless of the broader show's adult content, and McQueen's skills represent the kind of athletic artistry that commands respect across performance categories.
Emma Mylott's vocal contribution provides the production's musical backbone, while her reputation as one of Australia's most sought-after vocalists suggests a voice that can command attention independent of surrounding spectacle. Melanie Hawkins brings musical theatre discipline (credits including Wicked and King Kong demonstrate serious technical training) to a format that typically values raw energy over polish. The combination of these two vocal powerhouses promises musical moments that transcend the show's adult framing.
Spencer Novich's physical comedy, shaped by Cirque du Soleil training and international cabaret experience, offers a comic counterpoint to the more sensual elements of the program. The best adult entertainment understands that humour and desire are natural companions. Laughter creates intimacy that more earnest approaches cannot achieve. Adam Malone's circus and burlesque fusion similarly bridges entertainment categories, creating the kind of genre-defying performance that keeps audiences genuinely surprised.
The black-themed dress code creates a fascinating tension between formal presentation and adult content. Glamour and transgression have always existed in productive relationship. The most memorable cabaret venues understand that dressing-up for the occasion somehow makes the experience more charged rather than less. This attention to atmosphere suggests a production that takes seriously the theatrical environment surrounding its performances.
Strut and Fret's decision to describe Late Night Vice as a "cocktail-drenched fever dream" acknowledges that the experience extends beyond a stage performance into an overall immersive atmosphere. The integration of food, drink, and entertainment creates a world rather than merely a show, an approach that distinguishes quality cabaret from simple adult performance.
The no-phones policy deserves particular mention. In an era where every entertainment experience becomes content for social media consumption, creating genuine sanctuary from digital documentation represents both an artistic statement and a practical necessity. Some performances require presence rather than documentation. The immediacy of live bodies in a shared space creates experiences that screens fundamentally cannot capture or replicate.
Late Night Vice arrives as Sydney's entertainment scene would see benefit from venues willing to embrace genuine adult sophistication. The production's combination of circus artistry, musical talent, physical comedy, and deliberately provocative content creates something that mainstream entertainment cannot offer: an after-hours escape that treats its audience as consenting adults seeking theatrical art rather than mere sensation.
For audiences prepared to engage with boundary-pushing performance on its own terms, Late Night Vice promises an evening that celebrates both the darkness and the artistry of cabaret's longest tradition.
Content warning: Show contains nudity, profanity, strobe effects, pyrotechnics.
The Grand Electric, 199 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
12 February - 15 March
Thursday to Saturday 9:45pm, Sunday: 8:00pm
Tickets and more info: https://latenightviceshow.com/sydney/
Comments
Post a Comment