Gleefully morbid funereal polka has been The Tiger Lillies’ bread and butter since the late 1980s, distinguishing them as one of the most unique musical acts to emerge from the cabaret scene. Despite lyrics revelling in bodily functions and wilful provocation, the cult trio have always had a high-brow side. For this adaptation of The Beggar’s Opera, titled One Penny Opera, they embark on an ambitious song cycle following the trials and tribulations of crooks, thieves, prostitutes and down-and-outs amid the pestilence of 18th-century London. 

It's a concept that plays to the band’s strengths, allowing songwriter Martyn Jacques to wallow in the underbelly of human life with a relish for misery few could muster. He packs in the entire gamut of human suffering, painting a picture of hopelessness that’s never far from a cheeky wink to the audience. While the lyrical concerns are a bit one-note, the songs themselves are far from it. Electrifyingly fast polkas bristle next to melancholic piano numbers, maintaining a sense of diverse texture. It’s an effect bolstered by band member Adrian Stout whose polymathic playing skills cover double bass, theremin and saw, to name only a few; this is a group that is expert at making the gutter sound gorgeous. 

The narrative of One Penny Opera is a tad flimsy, as are the between-song exposition segments, but this is intricately arranged music, executed well. The Tiger Lillies continue to plough their own furrow. 

Underbelly Bristo Square, until 28 August, 9.20pm.