When the devil rises from a steaming bathtub in the center of the stage to a thrashing soundtrack and is joined by a group of vampiric club dancers who rhythmically deck him out in leather and hand him a cigar, you know this isn’t your father’s (or perhaps your great great-grandfather’s?) Faust. And in the case of Synetic Theatre’s gothtastic, gyrating and graphic production, we’re happier for it.

A brief tutorial on the Faust story, in case you’re unfamiliar. Boy meets Devil. Devil tempts boy with offers of sex and power; boy signs on the line. Boy corrupts innocent woman, who is driven to desperate measures when his true character is revealed. Whose souls will survive? See the play.

What is most striking about this production is that every detail seems to come in place to complement director Paata Tsikurishvili’s vision; the show is extremely well-conceived. There are elements that remind one of a music video or a horror house, but either comparison cheapens the effect. Synetic Theatre’s mission is to seamlessly meld dance and drama, and its Faust is no exception to this. There’s that charged opening scene. There’s the show’s execution of Mephistopheles’ (Dan Istarate) and Martha’s (Anna Lane) coupling, a sexy, gymnastic romp that has them literally entangled to amusing and arousing effect. And there’s Faust’s metamorphosis into Adonis-like youth, which unfolds in an ER room on acid.