The original production of Velvet first shook its groove thang at the 2015 Adelaide Fringe Festival. Since then, the cabaret-circus confection has delighted audiences here and overseas with its winning mix of classic disco songs and circus acts.

The cast of Velvet Inferno, Sydney Opera House Studio, 2026. Photo © Ken Leanfore

Starring the one and only Marcia Hines as The Diva, Velvet has returned in a couple of new iterations – Velvet Rewired and now Velvet Inferno – with different vocalists and circus performers joining the show over the years.

Conceived and directed by Craig Ilott, with musical direction by Joe Accaria and production design by James Browne, Velvet was inspired by New York’s famous Studio 54 nightclub.

Performed on a catwalk against a backwall of coloured lights, it includes a loose narrative about a lonely outsider looking for a place to fit in, with the circus performers representing the denizens of the nightclub.

Previously portrayed by Country Mike – who is now the owner of the club (but still begging to be set free) – the new arrival is played in Velvet Inferno by R&B singer KYE (in the...