IT'S dank, it's dark, it has a sense of the forbidden, of the late-night shebeen, of the secret and furtive, of a place where the impossible is possible and all fantasy is there for the taking..."

This is a description of the Piranha Lounge and you are invited to slip inside.

The play opened last night - Thursday February 22 - at the Clifftown Theatre in Nelson Mews, Southend, with performances following today and tomorrow, Saturday February 24.

The Piranha Lounge is based on the stories of the Brazilian magical realist Murilo Rubião, with text by Mark O’Thomas. It is produced in association with the Dende Collective and directed by Andre Pink.

Pink is a Brazilian-born theatre practitioner specialising in experimental theatre, particularly in clowning and Commedia Dell’Arte, working internationally in the UK, Brazil, Singapore and Japan.

He is an associate artist with the Dende Collective, created in 1999, whose work involves a strong Brazilian flavour, described as "a savoury feast, often with an international feel to them, bringing together a rich mixture of styles and visual elements".

Performed in Pink’s inimitable style, this adult production promises to "shock, delight and entice its audience with daring performances, mind-bending stories and uniquely grotesque aesthetic".

Show times are at 7:30pm and 2:30pm.

Visit clifftowntheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01702 328335 for further details.