House of Burlesque, London Wonderground
Enter the big red circus tent and a world of sensuality and tantalising performance awaits at the London Wonderground. Every Thursday until September 18th, Miss Tempest Rose and her harem of burlesque ladies amaze and delight the crowds.
There are many levels of burlesque, some leaving much to be desired, and others entertaining, but House of Burlesque is in my opinion by far the best show of its kind in London. The circus atmosphere of the London Wonderground lends itself perfectly to the performance, which boasts an aerial artist, a hula-hooper extraordinaire, along with ladies (and a gentleman) of fantastic talent.
The seating is first come first served, so it definitely pays for you to arrive early and get to the head of the queue if you want to get the best seats. It can get rather warm under the tent, so definitely bring a bottle of water. But aside from those minor discomforts, the exhibition is exhilarating as well as humorous. Miss Tempest Rose is the perfect hostess. She makes a point to get to know her audience while teasing them with naughty banter. Feel free to tease right back! This is one show where catcalls, wolf-whistles, and wild cheering is not only appreciated but expected.
The line up is varied and fun. Each performer knows exactly how to stoke up the audience and is a master of stage presence. Warning! Clothes do fly off in this show! But don’t worry, as the stage girls diligently will pluck any errant stockings or shoes from your lap.
The fabulous Lolo Brow performed the most hilarious if not ribald routine of the night. Masquerading as “Nigella”, a “celebrity chef,” she takes cooking to a whole new level. Who knew that whipping up a recipe could be so naughty? The originality and comedic elements of this skit truly made it stand out from the rest. The aerial performer, Joe Follie, was stunning in her glittered nude body suit as she flew above the audience. Performing to Lindsey Stirling’s Crystal, she moved with a grace that rightfully belongs in a Cirque du Soleil show.
Another performer who added some real spice was Esquire de Lune, a fantastic male burlesque dancer, who made all the ladies in the audience go wild. His mischievous fan dance was unlike anything I had seen before. He had outstanding facial expressions, hinting at naughtiness with a wild streak. It was wonderful to have some testosterone in an otherwise oestrogen charged show. The bit that had the most originality though was Miss Tempest Rose’s “putting it on” routine. Burlesque is typically about taking it all off, but here she rushes out to stage in a hurry, and is not quite put together. Her attendants fuss around her in a frenzied dance to clothe her properly. The manic fumbling had all of us laughing uproariously.
If anything could make this show better it would be to have the dancers not forget to make use of the stage. Most of them did use all the space but a few could have moved around the stage more. Since the seating is set up in a circle if you’re unlucky enough to get a seat to the far side or the back, you can spend most of the time seeing only the performers’ derrières.
House of Burlesque is absolutely a must see summer show, and if you feel so inclined, they apparently offer lessons!
There are many levels of burlesque, some leaving much to be desired, and others entertaining, but House of Burlesque is in my opinion by far the best show of its kind in London. The circus atmosphere of the London Wonderground lends itself perfectly to the performance, which boasts an aerial artist, a hula-hooper extraordinaire, along with ladies (and a gentleman) of fantastic talent.
The seating is first come first served, so it definitely pays for you to arrive early and get to the head of the queue if you want to get the best seats. It can get rather warm under the tent, so definitely bring a bottle of water. But aside from those minor discomforts, the exhibition is exhilarating as well as humorous. Miss Tempest Rose is the perfect hostess. She makes a point to get to know her audience while teasing them with naughty banter. Feel free to tease right back! This is one show where catcalls, wolf-whistles, and wild cheering is not only appreciated but expected.
The line up is varied and fun. Each performer knows exactly how to stoke up the audience and is a master of stage presence. Warning! Clothes do fly off in this show! But don’t worry, as the stage girls diligently will pluck any errant stockings or shoes from your lap.
The fabulous Lolo Brow performed the most hilarious if not ribald routine of the night. Masquerading as “Nigella”, a “celebrity chef,” she takes cooking to a whole new level. Who knew that whipping up a recipe could be so naughty? The originality and comedic elements of this skit truly made it stand out from the rest. The aerial performer, Joe Follie, was stunning in her glittered nude body suit as she flew above the audience. Performing to Lindsey Stirling’s Crystal, she moved with a grace that rightfully belongs in a Cirque du Soleil show.
Another performer who added some real spice was Esquire de Lune, a fantastic male burlesque dancer, who made all the ladies in the audience go wild. His mischievous fan dance was unlike anything I had seen before. He had outstanding facial expressions, hinting at naughtiness with a wild streak. It was wonderful to have some testosterone in an otherwise oestrogen charged show. The bit that had the most originality though was Miss Tempest Rose’s “putting it on” routine. Burlesque is typically about taking it all off, but here she rushes out to stage in a hurry, and is not quite put together. Her attendants fuss around her in a frenzied dance to clothe her properly. The manic fumbling had all of us laughing uproariously.
If anything could make this show better it would be to have the dancers not forget to make use of the stage. Most of them did use all the space but a few could have moved around the stage more. Since the seating is set up in a circle if you’re unlucky enough to get a seat to the far side or the back, you can spend most of the time seeing only the performers’ derrières.
House of Burlesque is absolutely a must see summer show, and if you feel so inclined, they apparently offer lessons!
Published on Everything Theatre August 12, 2014,