A post-modern burlesque for a post-modern audience

Turning Tricks, written by Glam Gam Productions, choreography by Gabrielle Coulter, directed by Michael J. McCarthy and Hannah Morrow

When it comes to late-night fringe entertainment, very few things hit the mark as well and as closely as a burlesque presentation; adult, sexy and entertaining, without being crass or awkward. That being said, a fatal flaw to this age-old tradition is that these cabaret presentations tend to mostly blend together and eventually fall into similarity. Thankfully, Glam Gam Productions' Turning Tricks doesn't fall into this problem, and instead turns the formulaic strip-tease storytelling medium into a full-blown play.

Turning Tricks doesn't skip the foreplay, if anything it revels in it. You're introduced to characters and learn to grow fond of their campy but charming natures. You're taken on a fantastic series of events, and dance numbers that make no attempt at obfuscating the numerous bits of social commentary spread across the presentation. You'll find plenty of sarcastic commentary on social media, witty dialogue, and downright hilarious moments peppered across the show's two acts.

Acts are opened with musical numbers that are sung live—like you would expect in a cabaret—but the song selection is delightfully relatable and also strangely modern. The stage presentation is anything but minimalistic; colourful props, lighting and a few special effects (like a fog machine). These help immerse the audience into the performance, all while retaining its edgy nature. Even though the show runs well over 90 minutes, it never overstays its welcome and paces itself adequately. Although the acts have very distinct 'personalities', these acts have a hard time relating to one-another. It almost feels like an entirely different presentation, but with the same actors and actresses. That being said, this hardly deters from the show's entertainment value.

Turning Tricks isn't magic, but it is a fascinating and entertaining burlesque presentation that's both unique and charming. You can check out the event, which will be running until June 21st at Café Cleopatra (1230 Saint-Laurent). Check out the schedule, the trailer and tickets at the Fringe Festival website.

--Jocelyn Beaudet hosts The Dead Of Night The Loneliest Hours, Fridays at 11:59 PM on CJLO 1690 AM