Against the cold wind gliding up off the waves of Glenelg beach, The Kingfisher tent fills with a heat only cabaret can conjure. Christine Ibrahim and her electric duo Captain Finhead and Sian Brigid ward away the winter blues with a red-hot intoxicating show that is not for the faint of heart. But, if you’re into it, there’s a safe word just for you: pineapple.

The stage can barely contain this explosive, captivating display of passion, love and sexuality. You’ve seen fire-eaters and sword-swallowers before, but not like this: built on elements of classic circus, Wonderfully Terrible Things carries cabaret into the modern world with a message of feminism and acceptance sprinkled with a healthy dose of comedy as a coping mechanism. 

By Ibrahim’s own assertion, this is not a man-hating show. But there’s nothing wrong with a few ‘small heart songs’ about the damages one can do to a woman. As always, Ibrahim brings the classiest smut Adelaide has seen, with originals and well-known tunes accompanying the shows spectacular displays of circus and burlesque. 

Wonderfully Terrible Things, Glenelg Winter Arts Festival – Colley Reserve, run ended.