Early 2024, with the Burlesque TOP 50 wrapped up for another year, I heard a name dropped respectfully in passing conversation. A month later I heard it again – someone raving about…
‘What did you think of the Burlesque musical?’ my inbox clamours, primed for righteous outrage after fifteen years of pushback against a movie which was Burlesque in name only (Cabaret, while more…
On April 29 this year, I met Jessabelle Thunder for a customary outing to the V&A museum. She visits London as often as she can, keen to make a second home here…
And just like that, this whirlwind of a weekend is over. Photos courtesy of SHPhotografia, along with some standout highlights from yours truly. Full photo selection below, with further photos of all…
The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025 is racing by, with two of three showcases already under our shimmy belts. Again, many thanks to SHPhotografia for providing these vivid photos so promptly…
Your bleary-eyed British editor here with a rapid recap on all of tonight’s niptastic nocturnal activity. Photos smokin’ hot off the press courtesy of SHPhotografia, along with some pert-inent picks and honourable…
When the scene queries and discusses the activity of the Burlesque Hall of Fame, it’s so easy to refer to it as a collective ‘They’, as if it’s a monolithic, mysterious entity.…
This Thursday, a resplendent cavalcade of talent arrives to deliver three thrilling nights of classic striptease, nerdlesque, boylesque, and draglesque at the iconic Triple Door in Seattle, USA. Welcome to Fatlesque –…
As the aftershock of the COVID pandemic continues to affect the entertainment industry, burlesque producers across the world are trying – and frequently struggling – to sell viable numbers of tickets to…
Tara Boom, a renowned performer from Sandy Point, Melbourne, is known for her unconventional circus acts, including hula hooping with a popcorn machine on her head and performing hand puppet abortions. Her acts are charged with physical comedy, and she leverages them to challenge societal norms with a subversive and anarchic spin from her Australian circus and cabaret background. Despite struggles with depression and global pandemic-related challenges, Tara uses her performances to connect deeply with audiences, address taboos, and express her authentic self.
Today, lithe and vivacious dancers across the globe watch and wait for the legendary Parisian institution Crazy Horse Paris to announce auditions on Instagram. Before social media existed, Anna O’Keefe, a plucky teenager from New Zealand, walked in and asked for one. She would go on to become Roxy Tornado, arguably the most iconic, documented dancer in its 72 year history.
How do you interview one of the most prolific burlesque performers, producers and bookers in London – arguably the world – who performs up to five different acts a night in multiple…
Have you ever made a bad decision you’ve always regretted? I know I have. But for one burlesque performer, a single lapse of judgement could have proved fatal. Four years later, they’ve…
How do you juggle a burlesque teaching business, hoards of students, newborn babies, and manage to stay sane in a global pandemic? One Canadian burlesque company and its three intrepid directors is…
Before the 10th round of the Burlesque Top 50 voting process began in November 2018, I posted a frank and personal statement that directly addressed 21st Century Burlesque Magazine’s global readership. I…
After over a decade of conversations with Dirty Martini – burlesque icon, New York legend and all-round tease genius – there is always more to talk about. More memories from the birth…
After 11 years of interviewing Dita Von Teese, her constant reinvention, evolution and endurance never fails to impress me. Instagram is teeming with Dita replicas wearing shameless copies of her iconic costumes…
[wp-review id=”28184″] The Folly Mixtures put on quite a show last year in the London Wonderground Spiegeltent, performing to an adoring crowd of family, friends and fans. They, and the fanclub, are…
I was delighted to attend the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend at Easter for a second year. Audrey Deluxe curates a sensational Burlesque Showcase on Friday night, famed for its world class…
In March, I visited Dita Von Teese at The Crazy Horse Paris during her sold out return to the legendary erotic cabaret. As we shared a thrilling interval in Crazy founder Alain…
Classic burlesque striptease, when done well, captivates and excites me as much as it did over ten years ago when I arrived on the scene. And yet a number of people approach…
I realise we’ve already had quite a tempestuous weekend in the burlesque universe, but I arrived home today to yet another attack on a burlesque and cabaret critic because the performer and…
The founder of retro lingerie brand What Katie Did decided to celebrate International Women’s Day by blowing off both of her feet with a shotgun on social media. “#inspiringwomen – yes!” she…
Since our previous interviews in 2012, Dita Von Teese’s career has been a breathtaking trajectory of achievements and appearances, and I felt it was high time I checked in. We had a lot to…
I am thrilled to present this special feature about sensational showgirl Claudine Van Den Bergh, who I had the pleasure of interviewing backstage at the legendary Moulin Rouge, Paris. After passing through a hidden door and…
[wp-review] Before its annual trek up to Edinburgh Fringe, Another Fucking Variety Show stopped by the London Wonderground Spiegeltent to wow the crowds with an enviable, ever-changing line-up of cabaret stars. Headlining…
[wp-review] Miss Polly Rae’s Between the Sheets goes big at London Wonderground for a second year, and while last year’s show lacked overall cohesion and confidence, history will remember it as a…
The burlesque scene is not a universally inclusive, comforting safe haven where you can spend your days high-fiving other ‘empowered’ women and singing Kumbaya around a warm, cosy campfire toasting rhinestone covered marshmallows.
[wp-review] Nocturne, Black Cat Cabaret’s latest London Wonderground production, concerns a weary London commuter who nods off on the tube and embarks on a journey through his troubled subconscious, led by “queen…
“Everybody give a cheer!” Gypsy has returned to the West End after forty years. A period spectacular from the golden age of musicals sees the showbiz mother of your nightmares drag her…
On Monday a bejewelled, flamboyant horde of stars from the London cabaret scene invaded the luxurious Cafe de Paris for a night of awards, roasts, song and striptease. Miss Polly Rae saw…
Before I was fully awake this morning in London my inbox was filling up with reports from New Orleans about Lucky Pierre’s, which hosts The Blue Book Cabaret, produced by Burlesque TOP…
This year’s Christmas offering from the Looking Glass Productions arm of Black Cat Cabaret is Palace of the Snow Queen, which promises to deliver “…gourmet winter fayre, beautiful decor, and spectacular cabaret…
In October, a violent incident involving iconic Soho venue Madame Jojo’s, a celebrated performance space for several decades and home to productions including House of Burlesque, The Folly Mixtures Revue and Cabaret…
As the long, lazy summer days turn into dark, drizzly nights, Rosewood London invites you to spend an evening in the warm amber glow of Scarfes Bar and indulge in top drawer…
In Cabaret des Distractions, the new resident Friday night production at the delightful Cafe de Paris, a pair of lovers, played by Ali Temple and Klodi Dabkiewicz, are cast into a hellish…
Last Friday, with just over a week left of the outstanding London Wonderground 2014 season, feisty songbird Lili La Scala brought Another Fucking Variety Show, fresh from a run at the Edinburgh…
Back from a run in Las Vegas, Pandora’s Box is described as ‘an innovative, enchanting display of high class entertainment’ and a dance-focused, erotic revue designed for observation rather than interaction. In…
Earlier this month, purring burlesque popstress Miss Polly Rae brought established London favourite Between the Sheets, usually in residence at the Hippodrome Casino’s intimate Matcham Room, to London Wonderground 2014 for two…
On Friday, August 15th, Kitty Bang Bang and partner Bioux Lee Hayes brought the mischief and mayhem of Boom and Bang Circus to The Roundhouse in Camden (London, UK), which took them…
Cirque du Cabaret returned to the London Wonderground Spiegeltent for a third year last week and welcomed a packed house of Pimms-soaked revellers. Champagne Charlie was a highly successful and effervescent host…
Midnite Martini’s recent victory at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend has been praised and celebrated as a refreshing, encouraging, delightful surprise, and those of you who read her pre-pageant interview will…
When I planned my schedule for the New York Burlesque Festival 2013, one of the first priorities was to arrange my first proper conversation with festival co-producer and Miss Exotic World 2008,…
House of Burlesque has returned to London Wonderground’s evocative, twinkling Spiegeltent for a third year with a new production playing a string of dates in August and September. It’s a high-energy, well…
With only a few days to go until the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend 2014, I am pleased to present an interview with Executive Producer Joyce Tang. Joyce plays a vital and…
London Wonderground is set to spice up the Southbank for a third year this summer, with an extensive and varied programme of events covering cabaret, comedy, music, circus, and burlesque. I heartily…
London Wonderground is set to spice up the Southbank for a third year this summer, with an extensive and varied programme of events covering cabaret, comedy, music, circus, and burlesque. I heartily…
With their tenth anniversary celebration coming up this Saturday (March 8th – see details below), it’s the perfect moment to finally interview two of the most warm, intelligent and face-achingly hilarious women…
The Helsinki Burlesque Festival, now in its seventh year, is one of the trendiest and increasingly high profile events on the burlesque calendar and attracts a steady stream of burlesque heavyweight headliners,…
It’s all change at Cafe de Paris. Resident guest show The Wam Bam Club has departed, and the venue now has its own new shows, produced in-house. One of these is Showtime,…
21st Century Fox here, bringing you more New York Burlesque Festival action direct from my basement! (Thanks for the (admittedly hilarious) ‘plug’ Murray.) Dazzled by my first experience of Times Square at…
As they kick off a UK tour of their hit show Beauty and the Beast, and feature in a new burlesque documentary by Beth B, EXPOSED, I continue my Partnerships Series by…
“Welcome to the legendary Tim Tam Room, where the music sizzles, champagne flows, and dancing beauties tempt and tease. When Tansy, the club’s crown jewel, announces her imminent departure, the club’s MC…
Day Two of the New York Burlesque Festival and The Brooklyn Bowl was the place to be. I was warned in advance that the large, standing-room-only floor in front of the stage…
We gathered together in the belly of Le Poisson Rouge for the first night of the eleventh annual New York Burlesque Festival. Although some of the best-known faces didn’t make an appearance…
My Partnerships Series continues with Frenchie Kiss and Jett Adore. This dynamic, creative and affectionate duo have won coveted awards at The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend, separately as members of groups…
I recently enjoyed an evening at Lady Alex’ Wam Bam Club at the Bloomsbury Ballroom in London, and while there was nothing ground breaking or exceptional in terms of burlesque, it was…
After a phenomenal appearance at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend 2013, the universally admired and adored Stage Door Johnnies – Bazuka Joe, Ray Gunn and Jett Adore – had a post-Weekend…
Between the Sheets is a highly enjoyable demonstration of what is possible when creative freedom, loving friendship and tremendous talent are combined and given the space to work. I saw the first…
Read Laurie Hagen Part One… The fascinating Laurie Hagen interview continues. At the end of Part One, we were discussing her early career… Laurie Hagen: I danced in musicals for a few…
Laurie Hagen is, hands down, one of the most multi-talented, endearing, dedicated and creative women I have ever met, with an inspiring story to tell. When I first saw Laurie Hagen perform,…
LouLou D’vil, a fabulous Finn who embodies the golden age of classic striptease, was crowned Miss Exotic World 2013, the Reigning Queen of Burlesque on Saturday, June 1st at the Burlesque Hall…
As I’m sure many of you have heard at this stage, Sparkly Devil was killed in a car accident on Sunday morning. It feels impossible – unthinkable – that this has happened.…
Over the past five years, my regard for Polly Rae has progressed from awareness, to interest, to hesitation, to respect, to a growing friendship and affection. I first saw Polly and the…
Every time that ringer sounds and the Bareskin soundtrack begins, I still experience a happy tingle of anticipation. Forever Crazy is a standalone collection of classic and recent numbers from the Crazy…
When I planned out my Partnerships Series, this couple were always a priority for me. Spending time with Michelle and Franky is a joy, and their partnership is truly inspiring. Together they…
Introducing the first online interview in my new ‘Perfect Partnerships’ series. When I sat down to think about the burlesque partnerships that I wanted to examine and celebrate, two exceptional women were…
Presenting our new Reigning Queen of Burlesque, Miss Exotic World, 2012 – Imogen Kelly! I am so pleased that Imogen Kelly has been recognised and rewarded for a fantastic performance; a performance…
In December 2011, Laura Herbert, after years of invaluable service, stepped down from her role as Acting Executive Director of the Burlesque Hall of Fame, and was succeeded by Curatorial Director, Dustin…
“…I knew that I wasn’t alone, and more than that, I knew that burlesque was more than a fluke; it was a true revolution and we were the generals of this new…
‘Frederick Wiseman spent ten weeks with his camera exploring one of the most mythic places dedicated to women: The Crazy Horse. Over the years this legendary Parisian cabaret club, founded in 1951…
The Chicago Starlets – Michelle L’amour’s burlesque supergroup; a captivating chorus line of bright, beautiful women who each began by attending and advancing through the classes at Studio L’amour. They regularly perform…
I am pleased to present a long and interesting conversation with Roxi DLite; a lady that seemed to appear from nowhere a few years ago and joined the ranks of burlesque royalty…
I really can’t say enough about BurlyCon. I feel positively gleeful with excitement every time I think about it, or see a new announcement. Of all the things Indigo Blue has contributed…
Dita is literally everywhere at the moment. On stages all over the world, on film, on screen, on menus, even on bottles! There are cocktails and desserts named after her, an interactive…
©Don Spiro “So you wanna know about the Naked Girls, huh? Naked Girls Reading is a group of beautiful ladies who love to read… naked. That’s really it. There’s not a whole…
I am proud to present a brand new interview with Neo Burlesque icon Dirty Martini, the Number One Burlesque Performer of 2009 – as voted by thousands of you in the end-of-year…
Michelle L’amour is someone I find endlessly fascinating. She is warm and charming to speak to, with a delicious laugh and composed demeanour. But when she takes to the stage a sexual…
Wondering what to do this Saturday? If you can get to London, I recommend supporting an extremely worthwhile cause. The attitudes and prejudice towards mental health issues in the 21st Century are…
This week, I spoke to Dita about her recent and upcoming plans in ‘La Ville-Lumière’ – a city forever close to her heart… Dita performs ‘Lazy’, at The Crazy Horse Paris (©Antoine…
Part Two of the epic and exclusive interview with Kalani Kokonuts… (Click here to read Part One…) Kalani Performing… Kalani Kokonuts, by Mark Hollinger. H. This will probably embarrass you, but you…
A month ago, sitting beside Kalani in her tranquil, beautiful home, just days after the Burlesque Hall of Fame pageant, recording the following interview, I felt both priviliged and excited. Privileged, because…
After a truly surreal and fun-packed Bowling Tournament, we all sashayed over to The Mardi Gras Ballroom to enjoy the Opening Night Bash. Tigger! was on the verge of unbearable attractiveness as…
I could attempt to recall this illegally sensuous event with some serious journalism, but the fantastic photos just say it all, and more! I had no idea when we arrived (an hour…
As the chorus of voices behind me shouted, as Kalani claimed her trophy – ‘It’s about ****** time!’ It was a long overdue and indisputably deserved victory for Kalani Kokonuts – Reigning…
N.B. All Images and Text ©21st Century Burlesque. Please ask Permission for usage. On Friday 5th of June at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Reunion Showcase, Michelle L’Amour provided the first act…
I recall my first Tease-o-Rama experience, in SanFransisco. I still didn’t reach the 21 age limit in America and some extremely inventive tactics were employed to get me through the doors of…
Everyone has an opinion on Dita Von Teese, some of which are unapologetically judgemental or negative, but there are those who are big enough to admit, none the less, that if it…