Avoiding pantomime: Naked Christmas

Feature by Gareth K Vile | 30 Nov 2010

For those of more decadent tastes, Club Noir – Scotland's first and largest burlesque event – and exquisite boylesquer Cherry Loco are hosting Christmas events for an adult audience. As Tina Warren, the woman behind the Noir throne, suggests, here are Christmas treats that are determinedly not for children.

Club Noir is driven by Warren's own restless imagination. “I am always on the lookout for new acts, otherwise it gets stale," she admits. "We have a bit of everything! Lots of short three, four minute acts. We have genuine Cossack dancers. If you are into break-dance, you want to see some Cossack dancing!”

Noir's format has included acts from opera through to breaking, and Warren explains that it is as much a club night as a show. The mixture of core cast and new acts even extends to the music. “The resident DJ is DJ Loveless, then we have Jim Gellaty, who was at the last Club Noir and loved it. So we asked him to come and DJ for us,”she concludes. "You can safely say it’s going to be the biggest Christmas party in Scotland.”

Cherry Loco, meanwhile takes up residence at The Classic Grand with "his very talented performance family that not only includes some of the top names on the UK scene, but also come from performance backgrounds as varied as circus, sideshow, belly dancing and cabaret."

In a competitive scene, Loco is looking beyond the usual yuletide fare. "There won't be any twee carolling," he insists. "Just a visual barrage of top live performance from fire wielding, glass walking, high-camp striptease and a great deal more."

The contrast between Noir and Loco's Twisted Christmas emphasises the breadth of the current cabaret scene: there is little crossover bewteen the shows' aesthetics, apart from a mischevious adult humour and glamorous sensuality. As the scene comes of age, both Warren and Loco are free to pursue their idiosyncratic and daring visions.

 

 

 

 

 

Club Noir takes place at O2 Academy, 4 Dec 9pm

Twisted Christmas take place at Classic Grand 18 Dec 9pm

http://www.clubnoir.co.uk