Run through before Burlesk! Winter Warmer. Note that it was too cold to take my jeans off!December was also the month for a very special Burlesk, and quite possibly my last one before my trip to Australia this year.
The snow had fallen and Brighton looked like a winter wonderland. Not so wondrous trying to drag my bag down to the station but nevertheless, magical to look at. I was surprised to find Hastings fairly untouched.
This time it was my pleasure to find there was a new addition to the Burlesk crew. A backstage manager. Sarah was an angel, nothing was too much trouble, even when I had her running up and down finding hair pins and glitter!
Miss Glory Pearl was back as well, doing her amazing pole tricks. As I find more and more, it becomes very frustrating when you can hear the audience whooping and cheering what you know to be an amazing act, but can't watch!
I was doing my Living Doll act with my giant gift box, and my La belle Femme en Rouge act the red angel fan dance. Some drunken idiot had tried to get into the box which was proudly on display at the entrance (there was no-where else to keep it!) so it felt a little unsteady going in, despite my checking the joins to make sure it was secure.
The best part though is that the start of this act is supposed to be humorous and so the box could fall apart completely and it wouldn't matter, it would all be part of the show.
Red angel was very well received, however the carpeted stage gave me the impetus to work on changing that act. Originally I did a Charleston step throughout some of this act and this was the second time I'd had trouble with a stage with too much grip.
I changed the music, to the very sexy tune The Mooch by Duke Ellington which immediately changed the feel of the act. And added a pile of large red feathers I've had in my costume bag for ages. Now I feel like a goddess every time I perform this.
So where was I? Burlesk! Yes, well Domino had a brilliant multi media act. If anyone has the capacity to have DVD displaying in conjunction with performance then oh my lord, book the girl!
Who else did we have? The newbie performer Raspberry Ripples with the fabulous sense of humour despite pre-show wardrobe malfunctions did a great debut act to a song I absolutely love - The bigger the figure by Louis Prima. Vivica Devine, who I'm still yet to see perform a full act even though we've been at the same nights so many times! I hear the audience cheering Vivica, one day I'll get to see you myself!
So my other big news for the night is the mean taxi driver who wouldn't take me to the station. We called a cab, one turned up, but he said he wasn't for me but proceeded to sit outside the venue for 20 minutes waiting for someone who never turned up and refusing to take me although a cab from his company should have been there for me. So I missed the last train home.
Hastings cabs, sort yourselves out! If it weren't for the loveliness of Barney our stage manager letting me sleep on the sofa I would have been all alone on a bitterly cold night, very far from home. Even more encouragement to get my licence and buy a camper van to drive around the country in.
So that was the excitement of Burlesk, it wasn't until this month that I realised I may not get to perform there again until I'm back from Australia due to bookings I've already made.
My heartfelt love and thanks to the wonderful performing arts community that the Burlesk show is becoming for a wonderful 2009.
xx
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