Category Archives: Burlesque

Review – The Burlesque Show, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 26th January 2018

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It’s always a pleasure to welcome back those boffins from the Ministry of Burlesque, the sexiest civil servants on two legs. Once a year they administrate their way into the Royal Theatre with a superb selection of comedy, magic and general allure and, for a couple of hours, one’s humdrum day to day life is transported to a world where everything is beautiful. Yes, even for half an hour or so on a Friday evening, you can think of magician Pete Firman as beautiful. At a stretch.

Having enjoyed the sultry pleasures of Miss Lili la Scala hosting last year, this year we were commèred by die schöne Marlene Cheaptrick, also known as the one and only Abigail Collins from Dagenham. Frau Cheaptrick wove a spell of pure Germanic enchantment as she guided us through her box of Teutonic delights. A highlight as always with Abi Collins was her interaction with members of the audience; on Friday night it was young Jamie who got a little hot under the collar as he sat on the stage with Frau Cheaptrick’s kleine Vergnügungsscheide upside down in his face. But he was a gentleman and did not take advantage of her vulnerability, which was just as well as his mum and dad were watching. She also did her manic and fantastic hula hoop act, in which no items of savoury confectionary were harmed. Assisting the lovely Marlene was Mia Merode, whom we have seen on the very same stage performing some stunning Burlesque, here in the slightly less glamorous (but nonetheless vital) role of preparing the stage for the next act. When acts drop feathers, wine, underwear, blood, sweat and tears during the performance of their routines, you can understand how important it is to have someone responsible to clean up; and she does it beautifully.

All the acts appeared twice, once in the first half and once in the second. The Dramatis Personae was almost exactly the same as last year, not that it mattered; this year’s show was notable for the way it really stepped up the humour. Mrs Chrisparkle and I were basically roaring with laughter all the way from start to finish apart from when it was unseemly to do so in front of naked flesh.

We met the delectable Lena Mae, who first appeared covered in a costume made of balloons. These were never going to last, particularly as she also produced a carrot with a prick on the end. A few pricks later and the balloons had burst to reveal her hidden charms. In her second appearance she did a superb, traditional fan dance in an example of pure, classic Burlesque; a fabulous combination of the elegant and the provocative.

Then we met Robin Dale, whom we also saw last year, performing an incredible juggling and balancing act with an open bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. Mr Dale was standing on a table, wine glass on his forehead, another glass in one hand and bottle in the other, ready to bring to life the human wine equivalent of a chocolate fountain, when a woman in the balcony shouted out “Hey Baby!” which almost made him teeter off the top. But he held on and managed it perfectly, so kudos to him. When, in the second half, he is joined by his partner in juggling crime, I still haven’t quite worked out why Mr Dale suddenly becomes one half of Boon and Bailie; but there you are, that’s showbiz I guess. Once again the dapper twosome performed dextrous feats of juggling and balancing whilst slowly removing all their (and each other’s) clobber. They left their hats on, in the best Tom Jones style, but this time Mr Dale’s thong didn’t twang into the audience which must be of some mercy.

Next was a new act – hurrah – the Hot Potato Syncopators! Three elegant 1920s toffs who dish out the raciest, paciest tunes of their day by means of ukulele, a single piece of string tied to a stick of wood, and a saw. They’re dynamite! Huge fun, they really recreate the era with their monocles, plummy accents and inspired choice of music. Decadence on a shoestring, we loved it.

Once again we had the welcome return of magician Pete Firman, and precisely the same three tricks that he performed last year – the ever-growing numbers of cards in the pack, the cutting-a-rope trick, and the signed £20 note revealed zipped up in his wallet. I think I’ve seen these tricks maybe six times now, and I still haven’t got a scooby as to how he does them. As always, his gift of the gab is hilarious, and he really is the most entertaining magician, as he mercilessly rips the p*** out of his audience victims who just love it. This time he had the spangly-dressed Claire on stage to help with the rope trick, with Steve on the £20 notes and Roly on the monkey nuts. Very funny, very intriguing, very clever. I could watch him all night.

We were also treated to two divine and hilarious Burlesque routines from the incredible Miss Betty Blue Eyes. One was a stunningly beautiful appearance in blue which included an arrival in a spaceship, but my favourite was an homage to Liberace where, clad (or otherwise) in the black and white of a piano keyboard, she tucked herself in at a tiny toy piano to play chopsticks. Unsurprisingly, with such a mini stool to perch on, it took Ms Blue Eyes several attempts to get herself comfy, but she pulled it off. You can’t get better than Ms Blue Eyes for milking the humour out of traditional Burlesque!

Our final act was the elegant and Berlinesque Alexandra Hofgartner, whom we have seen here many times before, performing her daring aerial acrobatics with just the aid of two strips of material and some womanly muscle. It’s a circus/variety skill but carried out with true Burlesque style. The audience loved it, as always.

Thus drew another Burlesque Show to its conclusion; it’s always a feast for the eyes and a tonic for your laughter organs. This was a particularly funny reincarnation of the show and everyone was on magnificent form. Can’t wait for next year’s!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2017 – Late’n’Live, 26th August 2017

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Our very last show in Edinburgh this year is Late’n’Live at the Debating Hall @ Gilded Balloon Teviot at 01:00 in the early hours of the morning of Sunday 27th. Let’s read that last blurb: “’Still the best late night show on the Fringe’ (Scotsman) is back for its 31st year! Different shows every night, but always the same recipe: one hilarious compere, four amazing acts, one incredible band, two hours of dancing and a whole lot of fun… Leave to simmer from 1am–5am and you’ve got yourself ‘the celebrated comedy abattoir that has slain a thousand comics’ (Scotsman). Comperes will include Scott Gibson, John Hastings and many other top names.”

I really can’t see us staying up till 5am. However, I’m sure some people will! We’ll just stay for the one hilarious compere and four amazing acts, whoever they are. Check back sometime after 3 am (or preferably on Sunday morning, or later) to see whether we survived.

If you’ve been following our reckless pursuit of entertainment over the past eight days, thanks very much for your loyalty! If not, I can’t blame you. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!

And we fell at the final hurdle. We already thought that this was going to be A Show Too Far, and so it proved. So rather than watching this show, we’ve treated ourselves to a bottle of shiraz in the hotel bar. Rather a quiet way to end our Fringe week, but the quality has been outstanding. Hope you had fun too!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2017 – Sweatshop, 24th August 2017

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And now, as they used to say, it’s time for something completely different. It’s Sweatshop at Palais du Variete @ Assembly George Square Gardens at 22:00 on Thursday 24th. Here’s the blurb: “Briefs Factory present a late-night extravaganza, Sweatshop, hosted by the impeccably coiffed master crooner Mikelangelo. Grab yourself a knock-off drink and clock into the Sweatshop. Experience the production line of cabaret, circus and party tricks manufactured in difficult and dangerous working conditions before your eyes, featuring the Briefs Factory workers. This is a sweaty, uncompromising performance, brought to you by the team that brought you Briefs and Hot Brown Honey. Violate your senses. Dance it out.”

I’m expecting “extreme”. Extreme comedy, extreme circus, extreme burlesque. Apart from that, your guess is as good as mine. I’ve seen some of Mikelangelo’s videos on Youtube, and I confess I’m a little worried. Check back around 11.30 pm to see if my concerns were justified. By then the next preview blog should be available to read too.

Some of the audience reviews for this show were negative and said this was tasteless. I can only say, they didn’t get the joke. I thought this was a brilliant array of acts, including the gorgeous Lada Redstar who brought politics into burlesque in a way I had not expected. There was also a hilarious hoop act to the soundtrack of Popcorn  – and there’s a good reason for that – the chicken demolishing Gingzilla and the unforgettable Betty Grumble. She’s not called International Sex Clown for nothing, and she displays a lack of inhibition that’s second to none!

Review – The Burlesque Show, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 14th January 2017

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Once again, the Ministry of Burlesque have trundled into town bringing their collection of stunning costumes, jugglers balls, magic tricks and nipple tassels. We’ve been coming every year since 2011 and it’s always a sheer delight. Last year’s show was just a tad of a disappointment as there were so many acts giving us the same sheer delight that they had given us in previous years. That equates to sheer delight for newbies, and pleasurable reminders for us old hands.

However, this year they rang the changes in true style. The biggest and brightest change was in the beguiling personage of our new host, Miss Lili la Scala. Mrs Chrisparkle and I have seen Lili once before, in Edinburgh last summer, where we decided to partake of one of her Another F*cking Variety Shows, a late night cabaret entertainment where Lili introduces us to a range of artistes plying their trade at the Fringe; and it really was a splendid show. For the Burlesque Show, she looked perfect in the elegant setting of the Royal Theatre, entertaining us with songs old and new. Mashing up two different Let Me Entertain Yous is an inspired way to start a show; I really love how Lili retros a modern song into a cabaret setting. In Edinburgh she gave us a moving but refreshing Space Oddity; in this show we enjoyed her semi-operatic version of Female of the Species. She has a winning combination of demure and daft which makes her quite irresistible in many ways; what the late Dowager Mrs Chrisparkle would have called Strictly a Female Female.

Starting the show, and finishing us off, so to speak, was the delectable Miss Lena Mae with two classic Burlesque strip routines, full of allure, humour, teasing, and costumes with surprises of their own. We hadn’t had the pleasure of her company before and clearly it’s been long overdue. She conveys all the joy of what she’s doing out into the auditorium and we love her back for it in return. Classy, sophisticated and with more than a twinkle in her eye. We also had two (well two and a half really) delicious helpings of Miss Abigail Collins;first in her guise as Miss Garden Verandah, where, in a floral-inspired outfit, she performs her amazing hoop act, and secondly as Miss Peggy Sued, who spent the interval in the bar introducing herself to unsuspecting punters (well, draping herself across them) and then came out and did her extraordinary balancing act. It’s unlike any other you’ve seen – basically she picks on two blokes and then does the splits whilst balancing on their shoulders. Well done Gary and Steve for your sterling effort. It was lovely to see Miss Sued back cavorting on stage, pulling her leotard here and there to prevent it from chafing her personal areas, singing and dancing like there’s no tomorrow.

More acrobatics – of the slightly more traditional kind – were provided by frequent visitor Miss Alexandra Hofgartner, effortlessly weaving herself in and out of a hoop in the sky with only a long chiffon for extra support. Miss Hofgartner exudes dignity with everything she does and is always a wonderful addition to any Burlesque show. Another new face to us, Robin Dale, gave us an intriguing juggling act with wine glasses (sometimes filled with “real” wine),then came back in the second half with his friend Jack Bailie to perform further feats of juggling whilst they both took their clothes off. Fortunately, protective top hats were at the ready to prevent anyone in the audience from having a stroke. A very funny act, but be careful where you sit, or else you might get Robin’s thong flung in your face.

And you can never get too much Pete Firman. We’ve seen him perform his magic many times and on each occasion he perplexes me. Just a few tricks for this show – the cards that magically keep increasing in number, the rope that gets cut in two and somehow self-heals, and the £20 note taken from a member of the audience that disappears and is found, not in a monkey-nut but sealed inside his zipped wallet. I specifically watched him like a hawk during that last trick because I was determined not to take my eye off where I think the note was kept during most of the act. Fat lot of use that was; although I think I may be one stage closer to working it out. Just maybe. The audience proved something of a handful for Mr Firman, though. His choice of assistant for the rope trick was Pat in the front row. Would she get up and help him? Would she buffalo. But Mr F was not in the mood for picking on someone else. Resistance was futile. When she finally got up, after much persuasion, she had no need for alarm, it all went swimmingly well. Would the same thing happen with the £20 note trick? Mr F’s victim was the shy and retiring Phil – not! If ever a magician’s assistant gave as good as he got, it was our Phil. I think I actually saw Mr F – temporarily – stumped for a response. I guess that’s always going to be a risk when you call on bright sparks from the audience.

And, as an audience, we really were fired up by the whole show, from start to finish. Our willingness to get stuck in and react noisily to whatever shenanigans was happening on stage, helped this particular instalment of the Burlesque Show to be (probably) the most enjoyable I’ve ever seen. We even miaowed incessantly at Stage Manager/Producer Miss Kittie Klaw as she cleared the stage ready for each new act. She responded with some miaows back and the occasional bum-wiggle. Every act really performed their socks off (literally in a few cases) and it was a very funny and sexy night’s entertainment. Fantastically well done to one and all!

Review – The Boy With Tape On His Face is Tape Face, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 7th November 2016

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I’d heard great things about The Boy With Tape On His Face in the past and so leapt at the chance to book to see him on his current tour. So did hundreds of others because there wasn’t a seat left in the Royal – with the Dress and Upper Circles packed as well as the stalls. I booked our usual middle of Row C seats only to be told by Mr Smallmind that there is an awful lot of audience participation in his shows and that sitting near the front is taking a big risk; that’s why he chose to sit somewhere far away in the Dress Circle. However, gentle reader, distance from the stage is no guarantee that The Boy won’t winkle you out and drag you to the stage. Twice he nipped up into the circle to get fresh prey and in fact Mr Smallmind had to make up an excuse about having a gammy leg so he could be excused from stage-based humiliation. There is No Hiding Place.

Recently Tape Face (as his new, streamlined identity has been rebranded) has been in the news as he was a huge hit on America’s Got Talent this year; his audition video of his performing Endless love with two oven mitts and The Lady in Red with his hands roving over himself is instant pure comedy genius. That was all I had seen of him before we saw the show, and I’m glad I hadn’t seen any more because the beauty of his show is the constant element of surprise. You really haven’t got a clue what piece of comic nonsense he’s going to attempt next. And, so that I don’t ruin it for you, I’m not going to tell you.

Who knew that over two hours of mime could be so rewarding? Not a word is spoken – just facial reactions to sound effects, music clips, and of course, whatever his audience members are doing. His wide open eyes are just so expressive. Shock, surprise, ridicule, annoyance, mischief – he runs through all the emotions and you’re never in any doubt as to what he’s thinking. He has great clowning and circus skills, which get a really enjoyable airing; at one stage, it was like watching Sunday Night at the London Palladium as a child. Props? Dozens of them. Like a child he can create an intricate imaginary scene out of domestic bits and bobs. Balloons feature highly; I brought home two as souvenirs.

At one stage Mrs Chrisparkle wondered if he would be able to keep this act up for 130 minutes. No problem with that – you sense he could go on for hours; and when the end came I, for one, didn’t want to go home. He’s married to Lili la Scala – all I can say is, they must hold the most hilarious dinner parties. Tape Face is a wonderful, feelgood, carefree, escapist and extremely funny way to spend an evening. His tour continues through the UK for the rest of the year and in The Netherlands and Germany in early 2017. Perfect for all ages, blissfully ludicrous, creative mime par excellence; elements of old music hall and vaudeville given a smart modern twist. We loved it!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Lili La Scala: Another F*cking Variety Show, 26th August 2016

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Our final show of the day – and only four shows today because we’ve also been catching up with old friends we haven’t seen in decades – is back to the world of burlesque and cabaret with Lili La Scala’s Another F*cking Variety Show. It’s on at Queen Dome @ Pleasance Dome, Potterrow, at 23:00 on Friday 26th. Here’s the blurb: “Mistress of ceremonies Lili La Scala and her most beloved cabaret reprobates entertain you at this rollicking late-night show. With sell-out runs at the Fringe since 2012, guests are treated to the very best on the international cabaret, burlesque and comedy circuit. This cabaret spectacular will warm the heart and boggle the mind; previous guests include comedian Jason Manford, The Boy With Tape On His Face and burlesque starlet Vicky Butterfly to name but a few. Come and feast your eyes upon a veritable variety smorgasbord: comedy, magic, burlesque, music and more.”

I do like this review of Miss La Scala: ‘Lili La Scala has the voice of Vera Lynn and the figure of Jessica Rabbit’. I expect the show will be one of those late night, slightly different each night, compilation shows where a variety of performers will come on, do their bit, and then move on. Hopefully we’ll get an excellent selection! Check back around 1am to see if it was a good line-up, and by then the preview blog for Saturday’s first show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

That was about as much fun as an Edinburgh show can be! Lili is a wonderful hostess with the mostest, looks gorgeous and has a fantastic singing voice. She did a brilliant version of Space Oddity that I found really moving. But the acts that made up the show were just sensational! Zach and Viggo were a hilariously goofy magic act; a song from Jai McDowall and he was ace; two fantastic tap dancers, The Tap Pack; a surreally hilarious comic,Tom Walker; Kai Hoffman got me up on stage and made me kneel in front of her – I won’t tell you the rest but I could scarcely breathe for five minutes – and we ended up with the hilarious Lords of Strut, with a routine that involved us pelting Christ with bread and had one of the guys passing himself through a tiny hoop clad only in a clingfilm mankini. You had to be there. Absolutely brilliant!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – The Fainting Couch, 24th August 2016

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So far in our Edinburgh experiences, we haven’t been that lucky on the Burlesque front. Last year we didn’t get to see the show I’d planned, and the year before we saw a show that was complete pants. So we have high hopes for the first of this year’s two attempts – The Fainting Couch, on at Fingers Piano Bar, 61a Frederick Street, at 19:50 on Wednesday 24th. Here’s the blurb: “Welcome to the wonderful world of The Fainting Couch, where high art meets old-school raucous cabaret. Hosted by Scunthorpian songbird Elsie Diamond and featuring burlesque bombshells, opulent opera stars, pornographic poets, cataclysmic comedians and manic magicians. Dare you enter The Fainting Couch?”

Yes, I dare. Here’s hoping for a pot pourri of saucy fun and unexpurgated glamour! Check shortly after 9pm to see if we were wowed and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

Unquestionably vastly superior to the Best of Burlesque show we saw two years ago. The charming, bubbly and sexy Elsie Diamond fronted a superb collection of artistes. Johnny Macaulay dressed as a vampire bogeyman ate some razors; Kim Chaos did a raunchy burlesque strip; posh entertainers The Establishment unnerved us with their audience participation, opera singer Carmen Monoxide planted a smacker full on my lips, and The Creative Martyrs gave us a very austere comedy act – the Flanders and Swann of Burlesque – which included one of them simulating oral sex on me. Ah well, always one to push the boundaries – and Mrs Chrisparkle was last seen removing a stocking from the leg of Miss Elsie Diamond, so all’s fair in love and war. Classy, sophisticated, funny and sexy!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – The Fabulous Punch and Judy Show, 22nd August 2016

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Here’s a show I really wanted to see last year but just couldn’t fit it into our schedule. It’s the Cafe Debris Company’s production of The Fabulous Punch and Judy Show, on at Attic Two @ The Gilded Balloon at the Counting House, West Nicholson Street, at 21:45 on Monday 22nd. Here’s the blurb: “Forget puppets! The Fabulous Punch and Judy Show is a hysterical, murderous live action romp, so leave your sensitivities at the door and enjoy this wicked adults-only spectacle. Based on the 1832 puppet show by Collier and Cruikshank, The Fabulous Punch and Judy Show is a viciously dark comedy inspired by burlesque, vaudeville and grotesque theatre. This is a no holds barred assault on masculinity and what it means to be a white male.”

Here’s an extract of one review I read: “With elements of Brecht savagely intertwined with Restoration bawdiness this is a surprisingly sophisticated deeply tongue in cheek utterly filthy piece of perfectly timed understated crude, rude and provocative brilliance.” Not quite sure what to expect, but I’m not expecting subtlety. Christine Firkin, Les Asmussen, Jimmi Mercieca and Brent Thorpe will no doubt be performing their socks off for us. Check back about 11.00 to see if we’re still laughing and by then the preview blog for our final show of the day should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

Ok well the first thing to say is this is NOT for the easily offended. It’s possibly not even suitable for the moderately offendable! However, park your inhibitions at the front door, remember that Punch and Judy is, essentially, a murderous psychopathic romp, and add a touch of sexual ambiguity to the whole thing and Bob’s Your Uncle! We thought it was very funny and performed with an inordinate amount of spunk. (You know what I mean). A good many people left before the end, but I’m sure you, gentle reader, will want to see how Mr Punch is an excessively lascivious and disgusting person right to the bitter end. Take a risky chance!

Review – The Burlesque Show, Royal Theatre Northampton, 22nd January 2016

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A cock-up on the ticketing front meant that I booked for the Burlesque Show on the Friday and not the Saturday, thereby making us miss out on the first Screaming Blue Murder of the season. Drat and double drat. At least it meant we saw The Burlesque Show in super duper Row C seats so that we could be at the heart of the action. As usual it was a sell-out; and you can tell it’s Burlesque night by the audience: a plethora of bohemian ladies with flowers in their hair and gentlemen wearing bowties. Alas Mrs Chrisparkle and I didn’t quite come up to scratch in the fashion parade. Must do better.

Your hostess, as last year, was Peggy Sued, the enthusiastic and uninhibited alter ego of Miss Abi Collins. Overly acrobatic wherever possible, recalling her ten previous husbands with a hula hoop for each occasion, she has a brilliant connection with the audience, and she’s a constant joy. I’ve never been involved in a crowd-surfing event before, but I ably helped propel Miss Sued from Row B to Row D with a gentlemanly placing of my right hand on her left thigh. And then back again. She chose Stephen from a couple of rows behind to join her on stage and help her with her hoops; we’re all hoping his fiancé has forgiven him.

For the ultimate in glamour, we were treated to two helpings of Miss Immodesty Blaize, if that’s not an insensitive way of putting it. She takes the Burlesque genre and delivers it with all the style, taste and panache that you could hope for. Her first act was “Venus in furs”, which involved some very expensive looking costumes and classic black feather fans. It was all very charming and seductive. Her second act, which wrapped up the show, involved her wearing what looked like a jewel encrusted nightie and was also the height of taste and decorum until she suffered a slight wardrobe malfunction, which meant her final tableau displayed a little more of her upper half than she might have expected. A true star, she nevertheless carried it off with complete aplomb, and even visually referred to it in her curtain call, when, with a quick flash, she made – shall we say – a clean breast of it. A class act in every way.

Also on the bill from last year – and from three years ago – was juggler and comedy ping pong ball man Rod Laver, performing his occasionally grotesque, always hilarious, how many ping pong balls can he get in his mouth act. His white facial make up and lugubrious expression, when combined with swollen cheeks because of the balls in his mouth always reminds me of cartoon hero Droopy.In fact, have you ever seen them on the same variety bill? In the second half, he pals up with the divine Miss Alexandra Hofgartner for their Weimar Republic cabaret act which always entertains (even if it is three times we’ve seen it now). Miss Hofgartner had earlier given us her high acrobatic act where she defies gravity by voluptuously draping herself around two thin sheets of red material suspended from the roof.

There were some new acts too. An excellent addition to the Ministry of Burlesque mix is Kiki Lovechild, a silent (well almost) clown who can convey both laugh out loud silliness and charming innocence. For his first appearance he gave us his chapeaugraphy routine, where with just a piece of felt that resembles an oversized polo mint, he recreates 20 or so different characters with varying headgear. It reminded me a little of Ennio Marchetto, rapidly changing styles with just a quick flick of his prop; very funny and inventive. For his second piece he gives us an act of almost childlike innocence, where he looks for a rare butterfly to complete his collection but realises their true worth is when they are alive rather than pinned in cases. In the end he brings them all back to life in one huge colourful flutter. It’s a really charming act, and I made sure to bring a butterfly home with me.

There was a new Burlesque lady in the form of Oriana, who gave us a very striking strip routine that didn’t hide (why should it) her more substantial figure and who is expert in the ancient of art of making the tassels twirl in different directions. We also met Beau Dicea (I believe that was her name), who gave us a comedy burlesque routine where padded undergarments took on a life of their own. And to redress the balance of the sexes, there was also a very funny and skilful act from Edd Muir, performing strong acrobatics on a pole whilst recreating that famous Diet Coke advert. I haven’t seen as much builder’s bum since Peter Pan Goes Wrong’s Stage Manager Trevor.

This was the fifth time we’ve seen the Ministry of Burlesque’s production of the Burlesque Show here in Northampton. It’s always a rumbustious combination of laughs, titillation, music and magic, and while it continues to deal all this up in generous proportions, why would you miss it? Anyone who was new to the show on Friday night will have had the most tremendous programme to enjoy. For us regulars, I admit I could have done with a few more new acts rather than the identical fare that we’ve enjoyed a couple of times before. It’s a perennial problem, isn’t it – you keep going back because you enjoy it so much, but you see the same acts which means you leave slightly less satisfied than the previous time. I can’t really complain – the old favourites are excellent, and they were still entertaining to see a second time. But I hope they ring some changes for next year’s show.

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – The Illicit Thrill

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Our final show tonight promises to be burlesque in the raw. We love the regular Burlesque Shows that come to the Royal and Derngate in Northampton every year, but really didn’t get on well with The Best of Burlesque at last year’s Fringe, as it was coarse and witless. So The Illicit Thrill is the only Burlesque-related show we’re seeing in Edinburgh this year. Here’s the promo blurb: “After teaching Edinburgh to perv responsibly, The Illicit Thrill is again open for business with house-mistress Gypsy Charms taking audiences to the next level. With a sinsational soundtrack of the devil’s music supplied by Black Cat Bone, stripteasers and entertainers entice, tease and titillate audiences with a blend of dark eroticism and a touch of Illicit Thrill humour. Savannah ‘best butt in the business’ Duvall will be in the house, as will the divine JC – so Edinburgh, brace yourselves! ‘Burlesque goes to the dark side with uncompromising and challenging eroticism’ **** (List 2014).”

It’s either going to be brilliant or tasteless or somewhere between the two. It’s a bit of a late-nighter, starting at 00:20 at the Voodoo Rooms Ballroom, so maybe I won’t put up our reactions until tomorrow morning, and also our preview blog for the first show of Saturday will be around then too. Thanks for following today!

Update:

We have let you down, gentle reader. This is the second production we’re not going to make, after all. To be fair, Mrs Chrisparkle has been virussy today, with a sore throat and snuffly nose. So we decided to call it a day at the tender hour of 11:50pm. Hopefully we will be refreshed for the morrow!