American expat Katharyn Henson brought “Stories from the Office of a Sex Dungeon” to FRINGE WORLD 2025, in which she detailed her time as the manager of said establishment in midtown Manhattan.

Less a dungeon, more the fifth floor of an anonymous office tower, sandwiched between caviar bars above and below, and where, due to NYC’s zoning laws at the time, sex definitively did not take place, nonetheless this was a place where practically every other imaginable carnal desire was explored. 

Henson’s job interview consisted of one torn-up resume and two questions, one of which confirmed her age. Once that “legal to work in the industry” detail was confirmed, for much of the role she washed towels, took client phone calls, and ordered supplies – mostly lube. 

Pen portraits of both colleagues and clientele were swiftly and powerfully constructed. Such as the Puerto Rican queen from Queens, who loved weed and her daughter, and sparked blazing devotion from her men. Henson had the ability time and again to introduce a character, immediately fully formed, and within moments they were almost physically there, amongst the audience, in the venue in far-off Fremantle. 

Henson detailed some of what went on in the playrooms, the fetishes, the needs, the desires, but only insofar as to flesh out the current story or joke she was on. There was no judgement in her telling, all the work mentioned in the show was with consent and agreed payment. 

What became more apparent as the show progressed was how much respect Henson had for her previous workplace and all who came through its doors. Of course, there were creeps and timewasters as clients and personality clashes with staff, there always will be, but as for the core of the work itself, Henson demonstrated an understanding and an empathy that sex and the other base needs serviced were both universal to the human experience yet extremely individualistic. Or, as the kids pithily say it, don’t yuck my yum.

Henson was the consummate storyteller, with barely a breath drawn during her rapid-fire patter. As well as the anticipated shock value gross-out moments, directed at the more squeamish members of the audience, there was also described the fierce sense of community amongst the girls, and care, appreciation, and yes indeed at times love, for the customers.