There was not a seat to be had in St Mary-in-the-Castle as 300 people enjoyed an evening of the exotic and the erotic, so much so there was a standing ovation at the end.

It was the international debut for the Dark Burlesque cabaret troupe, and the Hastings crowd, many of whom came dressed for the occasion, were suitably wowed by the extraordinary entertainment on offer.

There were gorgeous girls in glamorous dresses, a supercharged atmosphere and some fantastic props, including a huge crescent moon and a 12ft high neon pink hookah pipe.

The stunning resident hostesses popped up throughout proceedings with routines ranging from dark and sinister to fun and frothy, while Miss Durand looked every inch the natural on stage as she belted out some cabaret classics.

The impossibly seductive Veronika Valentine dazzled the crowd with several naughty but nice numbers and elegant Emily Grieve gave a steamy, sultry rendition of 'Fever" with just the right amount of sass.

Trixee Sparkle delighted with a sexy senorita look and a dance which culminated with her astride a huge glittering gun while Little Miss Dragon and Naomi Sareth raised temperatures as well as heart rates with a jaw-dropping display combining dance and fire-eating.

And Chrys Columbine, the world's only burlesque artist who performs striptease while she plays the piano, demonstrated her staggering skills, both on her own and in a sexy, showstopping finale with Veronika Valentine.

Organiser Miss Valentine said: "We were very pleased with how it went and thrilled with the turnout.

"We chose Hastings to launch the show because I have performed here before and knew there is an open-minded, bohemian community here which would appreciate it.

"It was very hard work, real blood, sweat and tears, but it was certainly worth it."

The Dark Burlesque night is going on to London and then Berlin, while some of those involved are hoping to capitalise on last Saturday's success with the re-launch of monthly burlesque nights at Venuu in George Street.

Did you see the show? What did you think of it? Leave your comments below.