Undressing the world of cabaret

Meeting two renowned burlesque performers in an upmarket Broughton Street bar for an afternoon drink is all part of a day’s work for two writers at Edinburgh's leading festival magazine. But what does your average festival-goer think of at the mention of the increasingly popular burlesque scene? Music, comedy and theatre all in one show? Perhaps. Striptease? Certainly.

Cabaret star and burlesque showman Des O’Connor (not that one), and the delectable Julie-Ann Laidlaw, aka Sunday Blue, are hoping to show the Edinburgh masses that there’s more to it than naked beauty. A committee member of the Cambridge Footlights with comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, O'Connor has come a long way since his TV debut on the infamous Channel 4 show The Tube, where he performed George Formby and Morrissey covers on his trademark ukulele. He now hosts cabaret and burlesque shows throughout Europe and America, performing sharp-witted songs such as ‘Cheap Shite White Wine’ and ‘Every Hole’s a Goal’.

Desmorphia, at the Voodoo Rooms, marks his twentieth year on the Fringe circuit – and a turning point, as he quits his day job, teaching Latin at a private school in London, for life as a full-time performer. When asked if his pupils knew about his alter ego, he tells a story about the Monday morning after an Amsterdam gig: “I got a knock on my door from a mother who said ‘I want to talk to you about the work you do outside school...your entertainment work.'

"Apparently that weekend there had been a party which a lot of children from my school had been at and they had found a clip of me on YouTube singing one of my…less suitable songs. This parent insisted: “I’m concerned for you; I don’t want your status with the children to change,” and I thought- "My status with the children has just gone through the fucking roof!’”

The former teacher will also be hosting High Tease, produced by Julie-Ann Laidlaw of Blonde Ambition Events. A performer herself, Laidlaw has taken a back seat recently to organise the Ministry of Burlesque’s regular Edinburgh show. A self-proclaimed perfectionist, her alter ego Sunday Blue only takes to the stage when she has a show-stopping act planned. She hints at a performance she has been working on herself, a male Chippendale-style striptease, adding: “I do enjoy performing but everything has to be just right before I can do it. Unless I can get up there and be the fucking best, then I won’t!”

While ‘tease’ is the buzzword for burlesque shows, both performers are quick to correct the assumption that burlesque is merely a strip show. O'Connor protests: “Burlesque in its true roots is a satirical art form. Burlesque doesn’t actually need to have anything to do with taking your clothes off. It’s really about any sort of act that someway comments on a social aspect.”

Desmorphia, billed as a ‘twisted character comedy’, combines elements of his burlesque performance with cabaret and theatrics to explore his song writing further, says O'Connor. “As I took my comedy songwriting more seriously, I wanted a proper outlet for that. I wanted something that pulled it together; to really give people an idea of where I’m coming from and why I write like I do.”

After Desmorphia, festival audiences can further indulge their interest in burlesque with High Tease. Laidlaw is excited about her first Fringe show and the audience’s response. “Obviously Edinburgh is full to the brim with people coming from all over," she says, "so I think we’ll have our target audience who will come along and enjoy it.” The show will be performed by a core cast every night, as well as special guests for each performance, which has led to a number of enthusiasts booking tickets for several nights.

Burlesque audiences are known for their elaborate attire, and Laidlaw’s expectations for the festival shows are no exception. “Everybody feels part of it and gets dressed up. But if they don’t then that’s fine. Someone had posted on the Ministry of Burlesque website saying, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I could do the dressing up’; I said just come with a smile, and be open about watching the show and enjoying it, and she did and loved it. I don’t want anybody to feel intimidated by that.”

The message is clear: anyone with an open mind and an interest in good music, comedy and theatre is welcome along. So what can one expect from a High Tease show? "It’s got its feet in both camps," says O'Connor. "It’s a very interesting show because it’s cerebrally challenging as well as being visually challenging.”

The not so cheap, or shite, white wine is finished. Your Fest duo leave with an illuminating definition of burlesque, a suggestion that one of us should give performing a go sometime, the promise of a future gin-tasting session – and, let’s face it, a strong desire to see both shows as soon as possible.