@ Edinburgh Playhouse, on Sat 25 Apr 2015 and
@ Theatre Royal, Glasgow, on Thu 12 Nov 2015
Burlesque has gained in popularity to the point where most major cities have their own burlesque nights, yet touring show An Evening of Burlesque claims to have single-handedly turned burlesque into a mainstream art form, bringing “the biggest burlesque legends from around the world” to be united on one stage.
The Playhouse is an odd choice of venue. Its plush interior certainly suits the burlesque aesthetic, but the large space means that a lot of the action is muted by the distance between performer and audience. Compère Lady Alex does a good job of getting the audience warmed up for the acts but most of the other performers can’t find this same connection, their charisma petering out after the first few rows, resulting in sometimes flat performances. There are notable exceptions to this: Miss Amber Topaz is funny and keeps the audience on board with her two acts based on Jessica Rabbit and Cabaret, hula-hooper Storm Hooper also adds something different with an impressive hoop routine and Andromeda Circus (the only boylesque performer of the night) takes the show to new heights with an act on the Spanish web. Peter Antoniou is also worth a mention for a psychic comedy set that is silly, but hits the spot.
The show isn’t lacking in fun but it would benefit from a smaller, more intimate venue. Burlesque works well when the performer has an intimate connection with the audience and this isn’t possible for many of the performers in this show. Although each act is professionally performed by clearly talented artists, the large space means the performers are exposed in ways other than just being semi-naked; their acts aren’t quite big enough for the theatre stage they are on. Unfortunately, watching a stocking or glove being removed in the same way again and again throughout the show wears thin. An Evening of Burlesque could benefit from a little more variety. Perhaps, in different venues the show will have a little more oomph, but it also might be indicative of the fact that the magic of burlesque isn’t so easily captured and sold on in large theatre tours.