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 mentions from yours truly. Full photo selection below.
Editor’s choice (in no particular order)
Samson Night in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Lead emcee Samson Night (MEW ’23) was the charming, funny and authoritative host you need coming out of the blocks on these epic weekenders. His solo in the second half – fleet-footed baseballer in pristine Dodgers uniform turned dazzling, defiant Zulu warrior – was all you’d expect from a Broadway professional and Burlesque monarch.
Cat Zaddy in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cat Zaddy was a walking red flag tonight. Two in fact, paraded and wielded in a quickfire medley of joyous, blood thumping Black magic. Consider the roof regally raised.
Frankie Fictitious in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Surprise! It’s MEW ’19 Frankie Fictitious atop a deconstructed, betwinkled motorcycle, revolving nonchalantly to ACDC in blood-red beaded scanties, before dropping, oh so casually into a split and fixing us with her white tiger eyes. Rawrr.
GiGi Holliday in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Anyway, at some point GiGi Holliday took me in the back for a private dance, and I don’t know how you filled the time in the showroom while I received all the slow-cook eye fuckery and old school smoulder I could possibly handle from an undisputed master wearing nothing but a pair of pristine white gloves for four immaculate minutes, but it was an extremely intimate, sacred exchange between us and I simply can’t comment further out of respect.
Crocodile Lightning in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Crocodile Lightning is a pure bolt of fresh air. I couldn’t tell you precisely what her act represented – part poodle, part chandelier, part chiffon hand towel dispenser as she was – but it’s simply charming. Not remotely serious, but very sincere.
Nadi A’marena in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Nadi A’marena and her frolicking Hobbits were very, very, very silly. Like, boss level, permadeath, extended edition with director’s commentary silly. When gown ‘n’ glove Gollum slunk out of an oversized One Ring, I thought it was going to turn into THE Ring, in which a similarly dishevelled creature bent on possession clambers out of a well. Thankfully, they kept it light. Even Sauron got in on the action, giddily waving his flaming ribbon about with a very much out-and-proud Frodo and Sam. Standing ovation thoroughly earned!
Honourable mentions
Aquarius Moon – in the unenviable position of kicking off the entire weekender – served us piping hot tea as a vogueing Lady Danbury (loved the cage-pannier to clutch bag switch up!). James & the Giant Pasty pulled off a fabulously witty, cheeky tribute to much-missed Legend Marinka, teasing us through his major and miniature curtain drops. Eva La Feva gave us an unnervingly brilliant broken automadoll, slinky eyeball lolling wildly through mirror gazing and mechanical twerking. And beloved burlesque Legend Viva La Fever could stand up there all night in her beautiful black velvet and blinding ruby florals, telling us about all the trouble she used to get into with Camille 2000 back in the day. Just priceless.
Congratulations to everyone – frontstage and back – for bringing it hard tonight, to Dainty Smith for her Sassy Lassy, and to Buttercup and Darby Fox for their surprise Jennie Lee Spirit Awards. And if you want more unforgettable stories from Viva La Fever and the other Legends in attendance, don’t miss that Q&A on Sunday, whatever you do!
Find out more at bhofweekend.com and follow Burlesque Hall of Fame on Instagram for livestreams and updates.
More photos from Movers, Shakers and Innovators, Thursday Night at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025
Frankie Fictitious in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Frankie Fictitious in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
GiGi Holliday in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
GiGi Holliday in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Samson Night and Viva La Fever in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Aquarius Moon in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Aquarius Moon in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Samson Night in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Samson Night in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Samson Night in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Samson Night in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Jazida in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Jazida in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
UmA ShAdow in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
UmA ShAdow in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
James & the Giant Pasty in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
James & the Giant Pasty in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
James & the Giant Pasty in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Qu’in de la Noche in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Qu’in de la Noche in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Qu’in de la Noche & Christopher Kenji in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Quinn Dixie in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Quinn Dixie in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Del The Funky Homosexual in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Del The Funky Homosexual in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cat Zaddy in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cat Zaddy in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Ginger Snaps in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Ginger Snaps in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Ginger Snaps in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Nadi and the Prancing Ponies in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Nadi and the Prancing Ponies in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Sweet Sensations in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Sweet Sensations in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Eva La Feva in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Eva La Feva in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Crocodile Lightning in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Crocodile Lightning in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cheesecake Burlesque Revue in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cheesecake Burlesque Revue in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cheesecake Burlesque Revue in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cheesecake Burlesque Revue in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cheesecake Burlesque Revue in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cheesecake Burlesque Revue in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.
Cheesecake Burlesque Revue in the Movers, Shakers and Innovators showcase at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender 2025, by SHPhotografia.