Jessamae St James Is Tied Up

For the anxious, know that Jessamae St James goes nowhere near the obvious trap of doing a cabaret show about sexual fetish – that is, being all sexy all the time. Pouts and wiggles and over-enunciated whispers would get old fast. While James is an accomplished burlesque performer, cabaret shows off her full range of gifts. Flirting and dancing, acting and song add up to a challenging, honest and saucy trip.

The fetish theme is a rich vein and James takes full advantage. She introduces a series of characters who get off on their partner's sexual ineptitude, bringing a person to tears or having been cheated on, as well as the “iconic” fetishes of gimp suits, inflatables and asphyxiation. Regardless of how jaded your definition of kinky is, these are undeniably paths to dark and bizarre places. James provides an intriguing tour – with over a dozen characters, some of the emotional ground is covered quickly, but even the whirlwind stops spark intrigue. The unpredictable atmosphere is capitalised on by an outstanding band, which with cello, keyboard, drums and trumpet amplify the uneven emotions James's excellent characterisations evoke.

If anything's missing, it would be a touch more humour. James clearly has a talent for comedy, but the script and the songs leave little room for her to indulge it. All of the musical selections are torchy and dramatic – a good fit for the band and for James's rather grand voice, but a show about sexuality could include a little more play.

Season finished