London Burlesque Week – The Scottish Connection

The four Scotland based performers who have been selected to appear at this year’s London Burlesque Week represent a broad, if not exhaustive, sample of the Central Belt’s styles. From Cpt Anchor’s swinging singing to Cat Aclysmic’s witty exoticism, each of the artists cover a distinctive territory that emphasises how the cabaret revival allows performers to find a personal expression.

Chassy Van Klaas, who is performing alongside Hettie Heartache at The Battle Royal, suggests what makes Scottish burlesque stand out. “Having come from Canada, the biggest difference I notice is that you get a lot more comedic and storytelling acts here, as well as a lot more variety in every show,” she notes. “That said, it may be a UK-wide thing and not just a Scottish one!” Hettie is more reticent: “There is so much variety within the Scottish scene that I don’t think there is anything that defines us... other than the fact that we are all a big cabaret family!”

The routines that Chassy and Hettie are taking south do support her point. “My influences are from old 1940s & 50s film noir and vintage glamour,” claims Hettie. Chassy, on the other hand, describes her act as “inspired by, and set to, a traditional Canadian folk song, which cheekily claims that ‘a log driver's waltz pleases girls completely.’ It's a pretty unusual number, with live vocals, ivy leaf fans and a uni-pastie shaped like a double handled saw.” The good Cpt, meanwhile, offers three classic songs: “I'm performing the Loveboat Theme tune, from my first self produced show, Hello Sailor! I'm also doing Rain on my Parade, the Bobby Darin version and New York, New York. It's such a big dramatic song, where I can have fun and change the lyrics to suit the mood. And there is a big finish. I love a big finish!”

Chassy, Hettie and the Cpt are all categorised as “Newbies”: while all three are familiar to Edinburgh and Glasgow audiences, this Caledonian trip to London is a chance for them to expand their experience. “I had been trying to get a gig in London for quite a while and it can be difficult to go down as an unknown performer,” admits Cpt Anchor. “London Burlesque Week offers me that shop window that I wouldn’t have been offered in the usual run of things.” Adds Hettie: “I have been looking for a chance to perform outwith the Scottish scene and I was thrilled to be accepted!”

The Newbies section helps to explain the remarkable growth of neo-burlesque in the past decade. While there are now many professional cabaret artists, it has a strong grass-roots scene and artists are continually emerging from local scenes to national prominence. The Newbies exist on the cusp of the two worlds.

Cat Aclysmic, however, is Scotland’s professional representative, in the “International Jetsetters” category. “I’m performing my infamous Bearded Lady Act,” she says. “It’s special as it was my first burlesque act, though since its debut the costume, music, and choreography have all changed. The premise, an absurdist take on the Bearded Lady of carnival freak shows, remains. It’s the piece that hooked me on burlesque as a medium, a way to be funny and sexy; provocative and entertaining.”

The notorious finale, in particular, gives this Bearded Lady her edge. “If you haven’t seen it I won’t ruin the surprise,” Cat smiles. “But once you’ve heard a thousand people give a collective audible gasp, well, that feeling stays with you and you want to do it again.”

That Scotland is represented so heavily in this category demonstrates how the scene is still growing. Events like Movers and Shakers, The Glasgow University Burlesque Society, High Tease and Rockaburley have all given opportunities for newcomers, without forgetting the importance of Viva Misadventure’s regular classes. At The London Burlesque Week, Scotland has the chance to show England how to do it with style.