CABARET trio Fascinating Aida have been peddling their particular brand of musical cheekiness up and down the country for three decades now.

Last night saw them shock and delight their York audience in a performance that proved that they’re nowhere near done yet.

Dillie Keane, Adele Anderson and Liza Pulman provided an assortment of numbers, old and new.

Their opening act stalled somewhat with an apparent dearth of variety in their material, mostly focussing on the plights of middle-aged women. Nonetheless, the sheer musicality and energy in the tunes manage to carry the audience through the hackneyed complaints and towards the true gems.

The trio are at their most astounding and witty when tackling current events. The baffling and razor-sharp Bulgarian song cycle is particularly enjoyable but the highlight was Sea Shanty, which experienced its “deuxieme” (as opposed to premiere) in York, having been written only the day before.

The a capella piece is deeply evocative of sea shanties of old (aside from the three women clad in evening gowns singing it) and conjures up images of sailing the SS Eric Pickles down the high street of Britain’s waterlogged counties. Not only are the jokes pitched perfectly, but the musical performances are nothing short of brilliant.

Long-time fans needn’t worry;there is still all the ribaldry and raunchiness woven throughout the show as you would expect and the ladies are as charming as ever, providing an evening full of exuberance and laughter.

- Stephanie Faye Bartlett