Burlesque Feature: The Lotus Opens

Scotland has several successful burlesque nights, with Glasgow's Club Noir being the biggest and best known. Edinburgh has seen its fair share, with burlesque elements appearing in many cabaret and circus shows, and of course the Festival's raft of (largely guff) burlesque from London and Parts Foreign. Many column inches have been devoted to discussing the relative artistic merits of burlesque dancing, and the reasons for its resurgence in popularity. One thing anyone who has actually seen a burlesque performance will tell you is that the performers enjoy themselves as much of the audience. The atmosphere at a good burlesque night is permissive, but not seedy.

Entertainment without exploitation. Is that possible? The consensus seems to be that millions of Sunday Supplement readers can't be wrong, so we sing a bold 'Huzzah!', as Newcastle-based Growling Clown bring an all-new cabaret and burlesque show to the Bongo Club in Edinburgh on 22 March. The Skinny gave promoter and performer Warren Speed the third degree about his new show, The House of The Golden Lotus. This is what he had to say for himself:

"It's based on the concept of a bizarre vintage carnival, crossed with an opium den, and we hope to decorate all our venues to capture this spirit as much as possible." So far, so different, Warren! Fans of hit HBO show Carnivale will already be doing back-flips as they read this piece. What else does the elegantly dressed Mr Speed have in store? "A freakshow tent, go-go dancers, strange walkabout characters interacting with the audience, and of course, the show will also feature cirque-burlesque live performance sections."

Do UK performers have the talent to match the godmother of the burlesque boom, Dita Von Teese? "Without a doubt, they have," says Warren. "They are coming up with great ideas for live performances, and are designing amazing costumes and imaginative props to go with them." I ask if performers like Von Teese or Australian troupe La Clique are an inspiration for his performers.

"We aren't inspired by either, although elements of both can undoubtedly be seen in our shows. I'd like to think we are more inspired by the carnivals and freakshows of yesteryear, and the likes of Charlie Chaplin, PT Barnum, Lydia Thompson, Harry Houdini - showmen and women who had huge imaginations and talents, and wanted to amaze the public with weird and wonderful performances. We'll have a Chinese pole circus act, trapeze artistes, male and female burlesque tease acts, belly dancing and strange cabaret acts. All manner of bizarreness really."

Finally, I ask Warren why he thinks Burlesque is so popular again: "I think it's partly because people are now able to see anything they can imagine through the internet, and movies are becoming less and less censored. A return to tease and high glamour, rather than explicitly shocking and crude imagery, is making a welcome return. Live variety shows are an exciting antidote to sitting at home watching TV, where you just don't get the atmosphere of being in a nice venue with like-minded people, all sharing an enjoyable experience. We really encourage our audiences to get dressed up in vintage styles, and we play music from genres such as rock & roll, swing, indie and cheesy pop. We hope to create a totally different vibe through the decor and bizarre features."