No real theme, no real storyline, just a great night out with no drama… and a show title that’s bloody hard to pronounce, welcome to Club Cartier: Ecdysiast. Ecdysiast is a term for a striptease performer. Coined by lexicographer H. L. Mencken in 1940, it was aimed to make the art of striptease sound more dignified. And, although I’d never heard this term before, Club Cartier certainly lived up to its title.

Club Cartier comes to the Adelaide Fringe all the way from across the ditch in New Zealand. Hosting monthly shows over there, it’s produced by Gigi Carter and incorporates some of NZ’s finest burlesque talents. In this Adelaide Fringe version, we get a mix of Aussie and Kiwi artists who put on a potpourri of acts that are sure to tickle your fancy in one way or another.

Gigi Carter, of course, leads the NZ contingent. And with adorable MC Diamond XO by her side, they bring a unique flavour to this Club. It’s not just their accents that stand out, as this duet belted out ‘Hey Big Spender’ before Gigi took to the trapeze to perform. Baby G brings a touch of the exotic to the show. Classy and cute, her performance (and dragon dress) looked absolutely stunning under the Nineteen Ten lights.

The Aussie performers in Club Cartier were an absolute powerhouse of burlesque talents. Fafi D’Alour commanding the stage and the dollars with her money-themed performance, Florence Fable bringing the high kicks and high jinks with her show-stopping closing number, and of course, the lady with the shoulders and arms that I’d kill for, Annie Lane. There is nothing this woman can’t do, and I can’t wait to see how big she becomes in the future (I’m not talking about her arms again; this time it’s her career).

Club Cartier: Ecdysiast is a fun night out. Incorporating everything from classic burlesque to feathers, aerials and a champagne-drenched free-for-all. And, with a rotating cast of headliners, it’s a Club definitely worth visiting again!

**** Four Stars