Cheeky Cabaret

Performed as part of the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival

Cheeky Cabaret isn’t just a show - it’s a riotous, genre-bending night out that fuses circus, vaudeville, comedy and new burlesque into one deliciously unrestrained spectacle. Born from the creators of international smash hits La Clique, La Soirée and Club Swizzle, this cult cabaret phenomenon has spent over a decade selling out shows and shocking audiences with its tongue-in-cheek charm.

There is something surreal about walking onto the stage of The Civic and realising that the audience, not the performers, are the ones occupying the theatre’s grandest space. Instead of sitting beneath the ornate ceiling and golden arches, you are guided behind the curtain and placed around a tiny circular platform barely three metres across. Four blocks of seating wrap tightly around it, creating a miniature arena that feels more like a secret club than a festival venue. The closeness is immediate. You can see every bead of sweat, every smirk, every flicker of mischief. It is cabaret stripped of distance.

That intimacy is the beating heart of Cheeky Cabaret, a show that thrives on unpredictability. The producers behind La Clique, La Soirée, and Club Swizzle have spent more than a decade cultivating a reputation for wild, genre‑bending nights that refuse to behave. This Auckland season continues that tradition. The cast changes constantly, the acts rotate, and no two performances are ever the same. What you see on one night may never appear again. The lineup described here reflects last night’s particular brand of chaos, but tomorrow’s show could be an entirely different beast.

The evening begins with Aurora Kurth, who steps onto the tiny stage with the confidence of someone who knows she can fill a room twice this size. Her voice is enormous, rich, and theatrical, yet she wields it with a playful looseness that sets the tone for the night. She teases the crowd, flirts with the front row, and belts out numbers that feel both polished and delightfully unrestrained. She returns at the end to close the show, bookending the evening with a presence that is equal parts diva and mischief maker.

From there, the show becomes a carousel of extremes. Caitlin Marion floats above the stage in a rope routine that transforms her into a human marionette. The ropes lift her into the air, and she glides with a softness that contrasts beautifully with the rowdy atmosphere below. The proximity makes the act even more impressive. You can see the strain in her muscles, the precision in her hands, the tiny adjustments that keep her suspended. It is elegant, quiet, and hypnotic.

Cheeky Curtain Call - Photo by Don Raffele RaffPics

The mood shifts to curiousity when Hilton Denis steps forward. His tap routine turns the stage into a drum, and he uses silence as effectively as sound. Without speaking, he pulls the audience into his rhythm, building tension with stillness before unleashing bursts of rapid footwork. His physicality is magnetic. He communicates entirely through movement, and the crowd responds instinctively.

The temperature rises when Jacqueline Furey brings a blend of burlesque, fire, and sword work that feels both dangerous and seductive. She moves with a confidence that borders on predatory, swallowing steel with a calmness that makes the room collectively tense. Her fire sequences glow against the darkened theatre, illuminating her silhouette in flickers of orange. It is one of the most memorable acts of the night, a perfect balance of beauty and danger.

The energy shifts again with Joel Salom, whose juggling routine is chaotic in the best possible way. He plays with timing, misdirection, and audience expectation, turning a familiar skill into something unpredictable. The crowd never quite knows where the next object will land, and that uncertainty becomes part of the fun. His comedic timing is sharp, and he uses the small stage to his advantage, creating a sense of controlled disorder.

Bendy Ben brings a different kind of spectacle. The contortion work blends drag, dance, and physical impossibility. The costumes are inventive, movements fluid, and stage presence electric. Twisting their body into shapes that seem to defy anatomy while lip‑syncing with a commitment that borders on devotional. It is joyful, strange, and utterly captivating.

And then there is Pricasso, the act that no one forgets. His portrait‑painting technique is infamous, and seeing it live is an experience that hovers somewhere between shock, laughter, and disbelief. It is crude, absurd, and undeniably memorable. The fact that the resulting artwork is genuinely impressive only adds to the surreal nature of the performance. Whether you love it or recoil from it, it becomes the moment everyone talks about afterward.

What makes Cheeky Cabaret so compelling is not just the individual acts, but the way they collide. The show thrives on contrast. One moment you are watching a serene aerial routine, the next you are confronted with a comedic act that pushes the boundaries of taste. The pacing is intentionally uneven, creating a sense of unpredictability that keeps the audience alert. You never know what is coming next, and that is the point.

The intimacy of the staging amplifies everything. The performers are close enough to touch. You can see the sweat, the concentration, the micro‑expressions. The Civic’s stage becomes a tiny world where the usual distance between audience and performer dissolves. It feels like being invited into a private party rather than attending a formal show.

There is also a sense of celebration woven through the night. The show embraces bodies, sexuality, humour, and risk with a kind of joyful abandon. It is unapologetically adult, but never mean‑spirited. Even the most outrageous acts are delivered with a wink rather than a sneer. The performers seem to genuinely enjoy each other, and that camaraderie spills into the audience.

The rotating cast adds to the sense of unpredictability. You know you are seeing something that exists only for this one night. Tomorrow’s show might feature new artists, new acts, or returning favourites. The producers treat the lineup like a living organism, constantly shifting and evolving. That fluidity is part of the show’s DNA. It keeps the audience guessing and ensures that no two performances are ever identical.

By the time Aurora Kurth returns for the finale, the room feels transformed. The audience is looser, louder, more connected. The show ends not with a tidy bow, but with a sense of collective exhilaration. It is the kind of night that leaves you buzzing, unsure of what you just witnessed but certain you had a good time.

Cheeky Cabaret is not a show you watch politely. It is a show you surrender to. It is cheeky, chaotic, and completely committed to giving the audience a night they will not forget.

Part of the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival. Find tickets and event info here

Recommended 18+

Review written by Alex Moulton