The “sweet” assortment was the MC for the evening. She was affable, she was comic, she was engaging.

Yet more gratifying was the malleable, fish-netted cat-like dancer. Her gymnastic ability was disarming and her arabesque alone was worth the $25 entry fee.

The finale bellydance was equally enticing and the corsets of Miss Cherry Valens were the cherry on the top of the production. These combined forces satisfied the burlesque audience’s hunger for novelty, parody, pastiche and striking costumes.

But some acts were a little on the sour side. The constant lip synching, miming and unremarkable musical parodies were indulgent and lacked polish. Repeated references to inadequate appendage became tired.

However, the delectable setting of La Boheme enhanced the strengths of the stronger performers and cloaked the flaws of the weaker ones. The troupe’s technical competence – the lighting and music cues - has certainly developed since their appearance at the Fringe. They are to be congratulated for cutting a unique edge into the performing arts scene.

While too much of Burlesque Allsorts featured lacklustre impersonations, A Wink and a Smile has nudged Adelaide in a new direction of entertainment.

Presented by ‘A Wink and a Smile Burlesque’ as part of the Feast Festival, La Boheme, 16 -22 November, 2008