The saucy contemporary cabaret In Flagrante is set to ''titillate, stimulate and challenge'' at the Dunedin Fringe Festival on Saturday.
In the Octagon yesterday, four women marched around the Octagon in short skirts in a preview of the show and to pique people's interest.
The whistles from St Paddy's Day drinkers and photographs by cruise ship passengers revealed the uniforms were working a treat - as uniforms in popular culture have done many times before, including Richard Gere in a white naval uniform in An Officer and a Gentleman and Maria Bello's cheerleader uniform in A History of Violence.
Artistic director and choreographer MaryJane O'Reilly said the dancers happily posed so cruise ship passengers could take photos.
''The girls are very obliging,'' she said.
The marching girls' uniforms were one of the 15 ''fetish'' costumes used in the ''tableau of femme fatale pop iconology'' including cigarette girls and handcuffed bimbo blondes.
The marching girl routine was performed yesterday because it was the only fully clothed part of the show, she said.
''The rest of the show is kind of naked.''
Men loved the ''unique, provocative, sexy, funny'' R16 show and women ''really love'' the wry comments on sexual politics.
''We are making quite subversive and satiric comments on women's role in society.''
Mrs O'Reilly said the marching girl fraternity was ''upset'' by how the show was seen to ''twist'' and poke fun at marching.
But the show never set out to mock marching and used tongue-in-cheek humour and ''short skirts and little white boots'' to ''titillate, stimulate and challenge''.
The free show yesterday had the feel of a bawdy British comedy.
''The whole thing has a very European aesthetic and the Brits love it.
''We were at Edinburgh Fringe last year and got rave reviews ... In Flagrante is coming and we are not faking it.''
The phrase In Flagrante is Italian for ''caught in the act''.
Catch this act and be challenged by something new and we can return to the code cracker next week.
- Video courtesy Dunedin Televison
