Walking into Torte e Mort, it’s not clear what to expect. The stage is filled with fog, through which the audience can see an array of instruments, microphones, and a auspicious guillotine. Much to the crowd’s bewilderment, the show begins when Marie Antoinette arrives late to announce, in song, that she does not do burlesque. She proceeds to get comfortable, first removing her gloves, and later her shoes, all while keeping a tune on her keyboard.

There is no easy way to describe the energy of this show; Anya Anastasia puts on an outstanding performance, crafting the character of Marie Antoinette not just until her death, but also after her execution. Dead, she becomes a singing, dancing skeleton with the unique use of glowing body paint. It isn’t long before we discover where her promiscuity and the negligence of the people took her. She becomes a devil singing about how good it is to take what you want. With a collective gasp from the audience, Marie is seen pulling out a fake gun, shooting herself before transforming back to the dead Marie, waiting to be dressed for the funeral.

From start to finish the audience is transfixed by the hedonistic promiscuity of Marie Antoinette. Her vocal talents and range compliment her stage presence, while the use of keyboard and electric ukulele adds variety. Bec Matthews only makes the show more robust with contributions of percussion and backup.

This performance was filled with the most satire and puns I’ve seen in a Fringe show thus far. So many puns! From the devil’s hot, sizzling body to Marie’s head singing that she “hasn’t got nobody”, the entire production was well-written, well-executed and, overall, an excellent performance. I would highly recommend this show to anybody and everybody, whether you’re a fan of cabaret or not.