Get ready to go to hell — or heaven, your choice.

The fifth-annual Sinners’ Ball, hosted by the Belfry Theatre, will strike downtown Victoria on Saturday, Feb. 6, promising a devilish time for goodies and baddies alike.

The ball, which began as a fundraiser for the theatre, has been held every year at the Laurel Point Inn, and this year will be no exception. Admission doesn’t come cheap (Hell will set you back $66.60 for one crazy party, while Heaven will get you a three-course dinner with wine, special entertainment, a private lounge and access to Hell — for $175). Guests typically purchase tickets to one or the other, but this year’s event will be hosted on the same floor.

“It’s a loud, boisterous party in which you play a part — there’s dancing, drinking and amazing food,” said Mark Dusseault, one of the event’s organizers. “There won’t be a moment when something’s not happening.”

Dusseault emphasizes that, despite the name, the ball is not a fetish party — and you won’t see much more skin than on an average weekend night in Victoria. That said, there will be plenty to tantalize the senses.

This year’s event will include acts like Bucan Bucan, a gypsy marching band, and performances from the Cheesecake Burlesque Review. Chef Brad Horen, team captain of the Canadian Culinary Olympic Team 2010, will prepare decadent hors d’oeuvres, and “a lot of surprises” will be happening throughout the evening.

Dusseault says that while you don’t have to don a costume (cocktail wear is fine), some of the outfits will be thrilling. And the party attracts all ages from 19 to almost 90.

“It’s truly a decadent evening — the costumes are amazing, the people-watching is great and you never know who will turn up,” he said.

The Belfry, a not-for-profit organization, has been hosting the ball for five years now in partnership with the Laurel Point Inn. Past years have brought in about $10,000 per event. This year, the group is hoping to pull $15,000, due to recent governmental funding cuts. All of the money raised at the ball goes directly to the Belfry, and helps cover everything from stage equipment and programming to artists’ wages.

“We have 250 volunteers who work front of house for us, taking tickets and working in the concession, but everyone else is paid — all the actors, playwrights, directors, designers and the craftspeople who build our productions. I don’t think people know that,” said Dusseault. “Everything is done in house.”

Dusseault says that this year, like many others, the Belfry is sending shows to Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Toronto — all created in the little theatre house in Fernwood.

The group raises about 80 per cent of their budget through ticket sales and fund-raising, while the remainder comes from three levels of government: the Canada Council for the Arts, the B.C. Arts Council and CRD Arts Development.

But the Belfry, like many other arts organizations, will have to wait until the March provincial budget comes out to see how their B.C. Arts Council funding stands. Right now, Dusseault says it doesn’t look promising.

“The province has never been a big arts funder, under either party,” Dusseault said. “Almost all the other provinces outspend B.C. when it comes to the arts. The cuts will take us to the bottom of that list.”

Dusseault says that while the theatre has always worked within a tight budget, the cutbacks will contribute to extra need this year.

“We’re pretty thrifty, as we have always had to be, but you can only stretch a dollar so far. All of the money we raise … goes right back into our community,” Dusseault said. “We need it to buy lumber and paint for our sets, to buy costumes and advertising, to heat and maintain our building and a million other things to keep the space running and create a piece of theatre.”

While tickets for the Sinners’ Ball may be a bit steep, Dusseault says there are plenty of other ways to donate or get involved, even if just through attending the cheaper plays.

“The more art we can create and nurture in the city, the better the city becomes,” Dusseault said. “[Victoria] is full of talent, but to support and nurture that talent requires a lot of things, money being one of them.”