London Burlesque Week
Although the burlesque revival has become old news, the rise of cabaret has been continuing under the radar. Perhaps energised by the credit crunch- satire and escapism are formidable entertainment in times of anxiety- both neo-burlesque and cabaret have been evolving, with the once monolithic scene developing in several simultaneous directions. The Skinny goes south to investigate <b>London Burlesque Week</b>
The London Burlesque Week may emphasis the glamour, but it allows space to many of the up-and-coming strands. Alongside the Battle Royale (23rd April), which introduces new performers and harks back to the community origins of the revival, there is The Peepshow revelling in outré sexiness, a Twisted Cabaret that links to Performance and Fetish Art (both 21st April) and the Sexy Circus Sideshow with its circus themed routines (22nd April). Promoter Chaz Royal is consciously courting the different approaches and, in this too short week, collated a broad spectrum of styles.
Malecifent Martini is typical of the new brand of performers, merging different art forms into blasts of burlesque energy. Coming from training in ballet, “I wasn’t feeling that being a ballet dancer was what I wanted to be,” she admits. “I was always fascinated by the alternative scene and I was always creative and wanting to learn different things-acting, singing, cabaret, bondage suspension et cetera. I became a Cabaret artist after I formed my band as I’ve been asked to perform in different events after people have seen me doing what I do with the band.”
This eclecticism is reflected across the various bills. Chassy Van Klass fuses folk singing with striptease, Anna Fur Laxis mixes in axe throwing, Cat Aclysmic brings new meaning to the bearded lady, and compere Dusty Limits references Brecht and Oscar Wilde with equal panache.
Dusty Limits is one of cabaret’s most intelligent, and dark performers.
“But as a host I'm usually more light-hearted because it suits the atmosphere,” he says. “The compere's responsibility is to keep the whole thing aloft, even when it threatens to crash. Levity is more suited to that than darkness.” His inclusion as the host of The Twisted Cabaret signals the Week’s willingness to include cabaret’s edgier side.
“I've always referred to myself as a cabaret performer, not as a burlesque performer,” Dusty continues. “Burlesque in its broadest sense simply means to satirise, but the way it is used now mostly refers to an updated version of the kind of thing you found in American burlesque houses in the mid 20th century. Cabaret, for me, is a broader term, which is a bit harder to pin down historically; roughly, it means variety in a small venue that sells booze and usually has musical content.”
Fans of burlesque’s glamour and eroticism are more than well served by the flag-ship events of LBW: The Red Carpet Roll Out (20th April) and International Jetsetters Ball (24th April) offer delights from around the world, and showcase the rich heritage of burlesque, as acts evoke its golden ages from the 1920s through to the contemporary revival. Venus Noir recreates the diamante studded glitz of the past, Sugar Blue celebrate the prewar years while Vagina Jenkins has reinvented some of Gypsy Rose Lee’s classic routines.
Burlesque has been the beneficiary of modern technology: grass root scenes around the world have been connected by online communities like the Ministry of Burlesque and many of the acts are perfect for YouTube, being short, raunchy but not explicit. It continues to grow on its own terms, and the London Burlesque Week is another example of its diversity and energy.