It’s opening night! Disco Disco. Jive to your seats as the studio buzzes with tunes from The Trammps to ABBA. The soulful cabaret circus acts are back to back in 75 minutes of heat at the VELVET INFERNO. Featuring one of this century’s original Diva’s, Marcia Hines.
Time warping back to the 60s & 70s when the clubs were colourful, the hair was big and platform heels were standard. Creative producer Craig Ilott, the team, musical director Joe Accaria and choreographer Amy Campbellbring, bring groovy forward to the year 2026.
Country Mike aka Brendan Maclean is warming up the stage with his charismatic quirk that is all too familiar from his debut in Baz Lurmanns The Great Gatsby movie! where he performed the absolute phenomenal piano organ piece as character, Klipspringer. We did not miss out on that tonight! With his musical talent extending to a beautifully unexpected acoustic solo to the Bee Gees Staying Alive.
Heaven drops it’s mic and shines it’s spot light as Diva Marcia Hines appears at the disco! She commands the stage with her memorable vocals, dazzling us all into the night. True Marcia fans in the audience applaud Marcia’s arrival as their voices sing back in awe. Recently celebrating her 73rd lap around the studio floor Marcia’s commitment to performing and coaching in the entertainment industry is a lifetime of talent we are lucky to all experience tonight.
Up and coming ARIA nominated singer-Songwriter KYE (Kylie Tadiwa Chirunga) electrifies the audience with her voice as she twirls her pink feathers. Her presence on the stage is grounded in her acclaimed pop and R&B style. Stepping up the glam in the finale performance of the night dressed from head to toe in fitted sequins she brightens the stage with her soaring vocals.
The sultry studio sirens, Emma Feliciano most recently performing in Back to the Future The Musical (2025) and Mateja SardelisB, a 2021 Eurovision contestant, are a split image of their matched energy performing heart throbbing choreography along with stunning vocals. These soul sisters don’t stop for a moment throughout the entire show as their dresses turn into disco lights and and their cheeky smiles turn up the heat.
Mateja shared after the show how lovely it was to work with Marcia and the team, highlighting how much fun they are all having during this show.
The audiences smiles turn to eye boggling, dropped jaws when this Guinness world record holding Ukrainian Duo Stardust roll onto the stage. Yevhenii and Vlada roller skate into an extreme sport stunt whilst maintaining their groovy characters as Yevhenii flexes his chest winking at the audience and Vlada smiles for due applause. You’ve never seen roller skating like this! The Duo are wildly fun!
Teasing us with a Geri Halliwell classic, It’s raining men, please prepare as you’re about to get wet just watching. The front row is wrapped in plastic and the sirens glam up in their iridescent rainwear in preparation for this welcomed surprise by Flying Pole & Aerial artist Oleg Tartarynov. It’s time to cool off in this one of a kind bathtub aerial act.
Singing, aerial & hair hanging artist, Zoe Marshall, performs throughout the show in various burlesque inspired circus acts glamorously spinning through the air. Zoe is ready as her second act sees KYE launch her into the air! She seduces the crowd from above whilst the disco continues below to a sexy classic. This Perth grown Australian talent really knows how to draw you into a story with her multidisciplinary performing skills.
Commending the acting skills of the cast as they introduce the flexibility of Scottish Hula Boy, Craig Reid. Effortlessly changing hoops and costumes in a his award winning act is as entertaining as it is humorous. Another Guinness world record holder, Craig brings his captivating cabaret entertainment to the disco for all to giggle and blush.
Simply this show is evidence that everyone looks better in glitter. Costume & set designer James Brown really brought to life the velvet inferno disco era. You could not keep your eyes off the stars even if you wanted to. Eye catching is an understatement, they captured the fun, funk and energy of the disco.
Burn baby Burn! The audience sings along as everyone gets up to have a last dance and embrace the disco fever.
A night to bring back the boogie, sing along, dance and see an original Diva!
VELVET HEAT plays the Studio at the Sydney Opera House until Sunday 13th September 2026.
Production photography by Ken Leanfore
