★★★1/2
Adelaide Fringe. Ukiyo at Gluttony. 22 Mar 2026
Serviced is energetic, cheeky, and gloriously committed to the art of the tease—queer male burlesque with a message… somewhere under the glitter. As shirts, kilts, and inhibitions are progressively discarded, the audience obligingly descends into a kind of joyful hysteria. At times, it feels less like “peel[ing] back the layers of masculinity” (quoting the show’s own publicity) and more like peeling off the clothes. It’s difficult to discern whether the show is just bawdy fun or whether there is in fact some point to it. It promises a “love letter to the masculine form,” and the letter is full of promise as almost everything is revealed.
Each routine toys with well-worn masculine archetypes: the blokey tradie, the kilted Scot (yes, we do find out what’s underneath), over-the-top nothing-can-hurt-me male-bravado, and refusal to show emotion. However, Serviced only toys with these issues and doesn’t really develop them into something meaningful. It’s almost a case of don’t blink because you may miss the subtext.
However, there is subtext, and there are two striking examples. One routine sees a performer shedding fem attire, downing a bottle of something, smashing it, and lying on the broken glass. It’s powerful (and very scary) imagery. It shows the transformation from the real to unreal, and the taking of extreme measures to feel truly authentic. The performer is then rescued by others. It’s touching. Society may be unreasonable, but one’s own tribe can be one’s saving grace.
Another highlight features an aerial straps routine set to I’m Just Ken from the Barbie movie, which gives it a special whimsy. Technically, the routine is ordinary—seasoned Fringe audiences will have seen much more ambitious routines—but that’s not the point. The act evokes the loneliness and frustration some men feel in simply being—like fish out of water.
The production ostensibly looks at the pressures of queer identity in a heteronormative world, but itrarely gets out of first gear before driving in a different direction to give another performer the opportunity to get his gear off. (But hey, give the audience what it wants!)
The real highlight of the show is the MC, whose razor-sharp repartee and smoky vocals provide the show’s spine. The MC commands the room with ease, revs the audience up and keeps the show hurtling down a dizzying but largely familiar path.
The audience just loved Serviced . The performers are all high energy entertainers who leave little to the imagination, and they interact with the audience in the most disarming way. You almost want to be engaged by them!
Kym Clayton
When: 10 to 22 Mar
Where: Ukiyo at Gluttony
Bookings: Closed
