Shibari rehearsal at The Violet Crab

Shibari stars Nina Russ and Bruce Esinem kindly agree to tie the legs of my gallant little sewing table, a rescue job from Portobello.

I cleared out the rusty pins under its floral lining, and now it holds the art clobber which I need for drawing-the-cabaret-as-part-of-the-cabaret. This isn't strictly speaking bondage - it doesn't change the shape of the table or restrict its movement.



We are at The Violet Crab, the cabaret-themed exhibition at the David Roberts Art Foundation in Camden. Nina is rehearsing with Ayumi LaNoire.

As they are not performing to amplified music, I hear for the first time the sound of bondage rope being played over bamboo. It is like breathing.