Performed by: Madeleine Margot, Rawdon Cooper, Purrsia Kitt & Posey Mehta
The religious environment of St. Augustine’s Arts and Events Centre acts as a perfect counterpoint to BDSM cabaret theatre show Transient and Trifling. The stained glass windows in the background, the altar area which acts as a stage and the often churchy soundtrack all work together to heighten the air of transgression underpinning the various expressions of kink. It’s a program that works both as an introduction for kink newcomers and an opportunity for those more well-versed to further explore.
Between acts we hear from the performers about what kink means to them, which gives eye-opening, personal context to what otherwise may have been slightly underwhelming. One slight problem may be that we’re watching people explore what gives them pleasure and this doesn’t always work to entertain an audience. Some of the pole dancing and sensual latex displaying, for example, lacks a real wow factor.
There is, however, one part which really does involve the audience and which acts as a kind of instructive centrepoint to the show. Members of the audience are invited to come up and indulge the performer’s submission and masochism kink. With a big flip chart, they take us through what is allowed in this context, and indeed what is legal. It’s a very confronting and potentially shocking part of the show, as people come up and variously strip, spank and write on the performer. There’s a real buzz of excitement in the church for this part of the show, and one fascinating element of it is how it shows the kink community in action.
Though the venue is thematically perfect, it does present challenges in that it can be rather hard to see what’s going on, as the altar space used as a stage is not elevated. There are moments when everyone is straining to see what the performers are doing. There are some impressive, emotionally resonant moments in the show, which work to put a refreshing emphasis on aftercare and the psychology of kink, the support and therapeutic elements of what can be a misunderstood community, but the performances themselves are not always as attention-grabbing as they could be.
Runs until 23 May 2026
