A Mime, A Microphone, And The Making Of Authentic Cabaret

The room decides where the act goes—that’s the electric promise of cabaret. We sit down with performer, writer and director Alexander Lutley to map a journey from actor training and Madrid mime school to global stages, unpacking how a silent clown named Pi and a silver-tongued host named Mercury grew from the same creative core: authentic play with the audience.

We dig into what burlesque really is—la burla, satire, and liveness—and why the art doesn’t exist without the crowd. Alexander shares the out‑of‑body rush of letting a character ignore the rehearsal plan because the audience invites a different game. We talk about communication beyond language, touring with English in non‑English rooms, and how gesture, rhythm and eye contact make jokes and meaning travel. You’ll hear how acts are built from story, costume or music, and why pacing, tone and transitions turn a lineup into a true show. Expect candid talk on craft: weeks of research, design, and rehearsal hidden under “effortless” stage moments, plus the resilience required when tech is thin and the martini glass has to appear on cue.

Identity runs through the work without becoming a lecture. Alexander reflects on queerness as an inherent presence and on the politics of simply showing up as your real body. We explore why authenticity reads as sexy, how comedy and seduction coexist, and the practical ethics of performing for the audience that’s actually in front of you. For newcomers, there’s clear guidance: know your why, set boundaries, and build toward the experience you want—be it confidence, community, or a career that tours the world. Along the way, we celebrate collaboration, passing the baton between acts, and the simple, radical joy of letting the inner child lead.

If you love cabaret, burlesque, clowning, stagecraft or the artistry behind audience connection, this conversation will spark new ideas and maybe a little mischief. Listen, share it with a friend who needs creative courage, and if it resonated, subscribe and leave a review so more curious minds can find us.

This episode was sponsored by Crystal Parade - https://crystalparade.co.uk/

Transcript

Welcome And Show Mission

SPEAKER_00 0:02

It's not just feathers and fishnets. Welcome to the real world behind the sparkle. Welcome to Behind Burlesque, the podcast that lifts the glittery curtain on the lives, lessons, and real talk of the burlesque world. I'm your host, Isabella Bliss, international showgirl, Marilyn Mummo tribute artist, coach, and eternal lover of sequins and storytellings. Each month I sit down with incredible performers, producers, creatives, and misfits who have made their mark on the world of burlesque and beyond. We talk career highlights, backstage breakdowns, body image, empowerment, and everything in between. Whether you're a fellow performer, a fan of the art form, or just curious as to what really goes on backstage, this is your space to feel inspired, entertained, and maybe even a little transformed. Make sure to subscribe and follow for your monthly dose of truth, tassels, and behind the scenes brilliance. I am super excited to welcome my guest today. The wonderful Alexander Lutley is a performer, writer, teacher and director of cabaret and cabaret theatre, and the alter-ego of the award-winning Pie the Mine and an international compare Mercury. After over a decade in the industry, Alex has worked on the largest stages with some of the biggest names in cabaret, produced and created shows across the country, toured the world, and been part of teaching the upcoming wave of cabaret artists at the Soho School of Ballette. So my gorgeous tally and welcome.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Hi.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

How are you?

SPEAKER_01 1:35

I'm so good. I'm so excited to be here.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Excited for you to be here. And it's so weird for me to call you Alexander because I'm so used to calling you Pi.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

I just thought uh it would be quite a tricky thing to do an audio podcast as a mime.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

As a mime, yeah, that might be.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Maybe the mime should not be on the podcast. We'll speak about the mime.

SPEAKER_00 1:56

But thank you so much for coming today. I really appreciate you being here. And I'm so excited for everybody to listen to you today. Because I've had the pleasure of sharing stages and dressing rooms with you and always been inspired by our talks, our conversations, your depth of knowledge and understanding, and your compassion. So I'm just so honoured that you agreed to come. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

And you look fabulous as all.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Oh, just a little mime chic.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Mime chic, little ooh. So let's delve straight in. And we're going to start with some performer journey questions. Can you tell us how you first discovered burlesque or cabaret?

First Steps Into Cabaret

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Oh my goodness. That is uh that is going back some years. Um, so I trained as an actor primarily. Um, and as part of that degree, I was sent to Spain, to Madrid, and I trained as a mime artist. Um, there is a funny story there, we'll come back to that. Uh so that was where my expertise was. And when I first graduated, I was looking for anything that I could bring my expertise to. And I found this incredible opportunity with uh a company that was called Finger in the Pie, which was a big there is sure I remember this. They were everywhere. There's no connection between that and my name, by the way. Just uh just to clear that up really quickly. Um but yeah, so I found their opportunity and they were running a festival called the Mimetic Festival, which celebrated Mime, which I had training in, um Clown, which I was also trained in, and Cabaret, which I'd seen uh Frisky and Manish, and I was obsessed with them. But um I didn't at that point necessarily see myself as a cabaret artist. Um, but in order to be a part of this festival, you had to have a solo show, a solo mime or clone show, and you had to apply uh to be a part with your show. And so I, being the self-confident, uh, some might say cocky 21-year-old that I was, I went, Well, I've got a solo show. And so I wrote them an email and I said, This is my solo show, and it follows this story and this mime that falls in love with these other characters. They're all played by me. Um, there's ballet, there's uh striptease in it. I just threw everything at this email, and um then they replied and went, Oh, yeah, we'd love to see the solo show. So uh so I had to make it. Um and I remember making it, and then they loved it and they invited me to be a part of the festival, and as part of the opening night, the gala night of the festival, they asked me to perform a segment of my show, um, which was a striptease segment. Uh, and they asked me to perform that as like a standalone bit as part of the gala night. And the gala night was hosted by Michael Twaits, who is an incredible compare, and there were many incredible performers on the bill. And I guess that was my first cabaret burlesque act. Uh, and I sort of didn't know that it was, but there I was doing that, and then the producers asked me to do it again at another show where Sadie Sinner saw it, and then oh Sadie's an icon, and then and Sadie saw me do this. This was like my second time. Yeah, and then Sadie recommended me to Vivacity Bliss of Cabaret Roulette, and it sort of just snowballed, snowballed. I sort of then just suddenly found myself in the cabaret world as a cabaret and burlesque artist, and then people asked me for a second act, and I went, Oh, I guess I should make a second act. And so, yeah, I just sort of found myself within this community and this industry and ready to ready to jump right in the deep end, really.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

She did by the sounds that that that courage and that attitude. And I think a lot of uh performers and artists have that, don't they? We just go, yeah, we can do that, and we go, you know, and just completely convince ourselves before the product is even there and convince somebody else. And that's a you know, a beautiful thing that I think artists and cabaret and burlesque have, don't we?

SPEAKER_01 6:25

Oh, 100%. I mean, the amount of situations we all get ourselves in by going, yeah, I can do that.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

At the moment, you're like, oh my god, I've got making you out.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

Suddenly, like googling how how to balance on God knows what.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

It's brilliant. But what really inspired you to kind of step on the stage for the first time? Was there like a defining moment in your life where you thought, I want to be a performer, I want to be on stage?

Family Roots And Creative Upbringing

SPEAKER_01 6:52

I think I come from a very artistic family. Like my childhood was always around the piano. I was training as a singer, my grandmother was an opera singer, my mother was a ballet dancer, uh, father was a fine artist, like my family were incredibly creative. My aunt is a jazz musician, uh, my other aunt does tap, like they are very artistic. And so I grew up with that kind of just there and part of my life all the time. We'd always be going to the theater, we'd always be going to the ballet. Um, every Christmas, this is this is wild. Every every Christmas, my family would put on a pantomime, uh, not for anyone, just for ourselves. And we we all get around someone's house, and somebody would have written the script, and somebody would have made the costumes, and and I was the precocious child that that got the the big the big part. And so um, so yeah, I think it was always part of my life. And then it just sort of made sense when I was at school to be doing theatre and dance and music. Um and then as I got older, I was also incredibly interested in science, and I was very much going to be off to Cambridge or something to go and become a scientist. And I just remember speaking to the careers advisor at A-level, and I was 50-50, arts and science, and they were speaking to me about science and how it was going to be a more stable and you know a better inverted commas um choice for me. And I went, oh no, actually, I I want to run away and become an actor, I want to be a star. And so I just auditioned for drama school, and um, and yeah, and the rest sort of just flowed from there. So I think it was always destined to be, to be honest.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

I mean, it must be incredibly inspiring to grow up in your youth and have all of that creativity around you, and those people that naturally would have flowed in that, and I guess showing you by example how to flow into your creativity.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Absolutely. I think I I listen to what other people used to do when they would go to their grandparents' house, and and I just go, for me, it was I'd go around on a Tuesday, we'd have dinner, and then I would sing at the piano for two hours whilst my grandmother played uh for my grandfather, for my grandfather, and you know, we we go through all of the jazz classics, and that has also come back in a big way for me as a as an adult and as a cabaret artist. Um, yeah, I think it was incredibly inspiring and and definitely a huge part in in how I've formed. Yeah, it massively shaped me to be a creative. I think I am the first person to do it primarily as my as my career. A lot of my family have sort of had a job and then they've done this as a side job or as a hobby, or um but yeah, it I think it also meant the support was there.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Yeah, yeah, which is really important, isn't it? I think to have that support in your arts from your family can make such a difference, I guess, in how you perceive yourself in the world and the career that you make, you know, having that yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Yeah, they really appreciated the um the validity and the importance of the arts. And uh I think there are a lot of families who are potentially quite concerned when someone's going to become a creative.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

But actually for my family, it was quite exciting. It's good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:48

It's really good.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

A lot of the time they're like, so when are you gonna get a real job? And I'm like, I this is my job.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

This is sorry, what's what's a real job?

SPEAKER_00 10:59

Like, in your format of like a Monday to Friday, nine to five, like, no, I want to create and I want to be an artist in every way, shape, or form. And I think it's really important to encourage people to, you know, follow their dreams and pursue that and not let it be beaten out of them, I guess, through schooling and you know absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 11:18

I think if if you are a person that that needs that, that wants that, then it's a real it's a real shame to lose that for so many people. And I, you know, I come, as I say, I come from a family of creatives, and for so many people, that artistic side is an escape, it is a a hobby, it is a uh sort of a meditative practice, I guess. Uh it's something that that brings them joy that that they want to do after work, they don't want it to be work for them.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

Yeah.

The Magic Of Audience Connection

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Um, but if you are the person that wants that all the time and wants it to be your main thing, it's a real shame to lose that, I think. Because there aren't many.

SPEAKER_00 12:02

No, yeah. I guess people could find a way to encourage themselves in their creativity and their art, isn't it? If people could take something away from this, like if you are inspired by art and creativity, like find a little way to pursue it in a way that fits for you and not give up on that and just exactly.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

I think we all have creativity within us, and it's about finding a way to bring that into your life in a way that works for you. I know a lot of people who are some of the most creative human beings I've ever had the privilege of meeting, and actually, as soon as their creativity became a job, it killed it because the pressures of having to make money from it often will get in the way of that creativity. So for a lot of people, it being your job is not feasible. Um, but I think it's so important for us all to retain some of that.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

Yeah, as human beings, it's really integral, isn't it, to have that creativity and just expressive ways you can express yourself and let your emotions flow through art and music and dance and exactly and to and to make something. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

Like I think we as the world progresses, we become less capable of of making something from nothing. Everything is a recreation or or a quick fix. Whereas actually taking the time, and you know, this also goes for baking and cooking and and design and anything like that, the taking that time to to make something from nothing, to craft something, I think is really important and really special.

SPEAKER_00 13:43

Beautiful, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Yeah, really beautiful. Something that we as human beings are capable of, so we should absolutely embrace it.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

So, can I bring you back to talking about that first time when you did that cabaret show? Do you remember what it felt like to step out on the stage that time?

SPEAKER_01 14:02

It was wild, it was absolutely wild. I just so I remember making this um routine and rehearsing it, and I remember deciding what my character was going to be and what my character was gonna be called. Um and as a as a person who has trained in clown, there was going to be an element of clowning in what I did. And I remember walking out on stage and the theatre was full, and the lights hit me, and I vividly remember having this almost out-of-body experience where the character that I had created decided to do none of the stuff I'd rehearsed because the audience were playing and the audience were bouncing off what was happening, and so this being just took it in a completely different direction. And I just sort of remember having this like version of me that was a little bit set back, watching, going, oh my, that I didn't plan on doing that. And it sort of just went in this entirely different direction, uh, which is what I love about clowning and cabaret and and the liveness of it is when you're truly present, like having that play, um means that your act is going to go in whatever direction, that everybody in that room takes it. And I find that very exciting. But I remember vividly stepping out. Oh, I remember that first time and and sort of being like, what is happening? Why am I doing that? Like that wasn't that wasn't in the choreo. Uh yeah, yeah, it was a really odd moment.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Yeah, and I can totally relate to that because I've had that a few times in my Marilyn show where I've gone, you know, like have all my kind of script and my points, and in that and it's such a weird concept to try and explain to people of like you're watching yourself externally, but there's so much beauty and magic of like it's almost like you're watching yourself in complete flow with the universe, and that you are just guided by feeling what that audience needs, and just go in with that, and that's I think sometimes the beauty and the freedom of burlesque and cabaret, whereas you know, traditional theatre and shows where they're scripted and there's choreo, and it has to be repeatedly exactly the same every night for a certain reason. Whereas the art and the beauty sometimes of burlesque and cabaret is you can have your your characters and your outlines and your bits, but you flow with the vibe of the audience. And when, as a host or a performer, an artist, you get in that flow state, oh it's magic.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

Yeah, like it could go in any direction, but you just know that when you're in that state, everybody in that room is is leading it, and I find that so exciting. As someone who comes from theatre, that that difference is so noticeable to me. Where I often say that in cabaret and burlesque, the one thing you can't perform without is an audience, and I've done dance shows and I've done theatre shows without an audience, and they're the same as they were rehearsed because that is how they've been constructed. But a cabaret show without an audience, I don't know if it exists.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Yeah, it's a it's a rehearsal, like because there's beauty in that connection, isn't it? That very human thing that we all want is to be heard and seen by another human, and that dynamic connection really is the magic kind of part, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 17:46

I agree. I think it's I often say that Cabaret and Bales doesn't happen on stage and it doesn't happen in the audience, it happens somewhere in between. Like that's where it exists. Doesn't really matter what venue it's in, it doesn't really matter what kind of audience it is. When that artist and that audience connect, it's that kind of fusion in between, that's where that's where it comes out. Yeah, it's the fireworks, it's the it's that moment of sheer surprise and joy and freedom and letting go that you all sort of discover together.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

Yeah.

Crafting The Persona Of Pi

SPEAKER_01 18:24

And I think for an audience especially, well, no, for an artist as well, I think it's unlike any other form of performance because without the audience, without that particular group of people in that moment and that artist, this wouldn't have happened. I that's what I love about it. So special. And I think it's sort of what has what has kept me in in in Cabaret. There's so many actors and dancers who look over at us as an industry and go, oh, that looks fun, and sort of dip their toe in, but then sort of go back to more traditional acting or dance. But for me, that buzz, that relationship with the audience, I just I love it.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

And it means for the audience as well, doesn't it, that no two shows will be the same ever, and that there's something so special that in that moment here and now, this will never be the same again. And that's so magical.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Oh, so I think it's I haven't experienced it really anywhere else. And I think in a world where we're living through social media and and we are all thinking about the good old days, or we're planning for this big thing that's coming, or we're like curating this perfect snapshot, that kind of messy, gritty liveness presence. I think is is something we crave. Yeah, because we all sort of just like float through so much through the supermarket or public transport. And having that kind of like, oh my goodness, you are looking at me and you are creating with me, yeah, I think is is electric for people.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

Yeah. Thank you for explaining that so beautifully for people at home that I guess don't understand what it we experience, I guess, as an artist, and for them to understand that they co-create with us is a really beautiful thing. And I guess how would you say from that first performance? How is your did you but can I ask as well? When you first stepped out, was you always pie the mime?

SPEAKER_01 20:36

Yeah, so pie the name was born in uh in desperation because the deadline to send an email was very close, and so I had to come up with a name for this mime, and um and thus pie was born. So I worked out as pie.

SPEAKER_00 20:56

How did you choose the name? Was there like a process?

SPEAKER_01 20:59

Uh yeah, actually, there was a process. Um, I as I said, I I was also in the sciences, and pie is a mathematical symbol. Um and I just remember sort of like trying to find some kind of symbol, or I wanted something that wasn't a traditional name, something that would allow me to be whatever character I needed. Like pie sort of could be any gender or age or personality. Um, so I didn't want to tie myself down too much. And I was sort of looking very much at other mimes and clowns that I was inspired by. Um, they all had quite short, little names, and I knew I wanted it to be something that was quite simple, that was quite little, hopefully memorable.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Yeah.

unknown 21:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:57

You are memorable. I think you're memorable. And I think that's the beauty of like whenever I work with you on cabaret shows and ballet shows, you're always doing so many different characters. It's it's like brilliant. The the kind of diversity of what you're able to bring to the stage is just I'm always so in awe of your capability and your craftsmanship. Of like you have all of these characters that you just flip out of your back pocket and you like mold them into the shows, and it's just really beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 22:27

Oh, thank you. I think, yeah, I've sort of ended up with this persona as pie, especially, uh, where it's like a it's like a toy box where I can sort of go, what hat am I gonna wear? It's like a dressing up box. And I sort of go, Who am I gonna be? And what does this show need? And I think that's that very much comes from my theatre background. Like asking, what does this particular production need from me? Does it need a circus clown? Does it need a builder? I've been both sometimes in the same show.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

Cocktail maker.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

A cocktail maker, uh, yeah, I think ended up as a thor, God thunder, like so many different characters Pi can play. Yeah, because Pi is sort of this blank canvas. That the only rule is that Pi is playful, I think, is is is the essence of the character. Yeah. Yeah, Pi is playing. Who is Pi playing as today? It sounds weird when I talk about myself in third person.

SPEAKER_00 23:42

Would you say that your style has changed from that first performance to the performer you are now? What do you think is how much has it changed, or has it changed, or I mean yeah, I guess it has.

Mercury Speaks: Hosting And Voice

SPEAKER_01 23:55

I think a few years in I was part of a show uh with my collective, The House of Q, that required a compare, which is relatively tricky as a mine. So I think my other character, Mercury, was born, yeah. Um and Mercury speaks, so that's quite a big difference, I guess, from my early days. Um I think Pi is obviously going to grow and change as I do. But in essence, I still feel that magic when I walk on stage. I still feel that kind of what's gonna happen, let's play. I obviously have a few more, I have more experience of what games the audience might go for. Oh yeah. Um but Pi has still retained that childlike playfulness, which I I sort of don't want to lose.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

It's important, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 24:59

I think it is. I think I've been doing a solo show um at the moment, which has been a real kind of revisiting of the essence of Pi. Uh and I I think it's important. I think that that playfulness allows an audience to unlock their inner child that they don't let themselves be.

SPEAKER_02 25:25

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

And to feel that joy and to not take themselves and that moment too seriously to let go a little bit because I think releasing one's inner child, yeah. I think we all need to do that more.

SPEAKER_00 25:42

I wish more people would do that as well. Like, you know, I think as we get older we're forced into all of these like big life decisions, and like, don't do this, do you do that? And you know, we forget the ability to play and have fun as you know and nurture, I guess, your inner child in that way. And it's so important to create space in your life for that. And we, I guess, as artists have that privilege that we can uh help facilitate and be there, and and we get to nurture our inner child a lot along the way.

SPEAKER_01 26:11

So that's it, and that's what I never want to lose as Pi. There was a little dip in the middle where Pi became quite serious, and Pi has explored some sort of quite serious topics, and Pi has performed some quite important but not necessarily joyful or playful numbers, but I think the essence is that playfulness, that inner child being released. Because yeah, I think even when people are having fun in inverted commas, I um there is a a a way of having fun, and people are trying to have their enjoyment, people are trying to let their hair down in a way that is socially acceptable, or and very often that isn't the freedom of in inner child, and releasing that I think is an incredibly cleansing experience. So, yeah, that's what that's what I hopefully have not lost in my time.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

I don't think you have.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

No, I don't think I have. Oh, yeah, we do.

SPEAKER_00 27:20

So, what would you say, like creating your character Mercury as a host and a compare, what was that process like? And what does what's Mercury like as a character for you?

SPEAKER_01 27:31

Mercury interestingly, having been a silent performer for so many years, Mercury was really about rediscovering my voice. Yeah. Um, which as I said, I I grew up as a singer and I I trained to be an actor, so I've I've spoken before. Um but I hadn't in those spaces and those shows. And so it was a slower process. It wasn't as the first time I went on stage as Pi, I saw Pi. Mercury has taken slightly longer. Uh Mercury also involved quite a lot of self-reflection because I think I had to be become conscious of how I sound and the inherent queerness that that my voice holds. And so I think Mercury had a slightly more kind of self-reflection of learning what people heard when they hear me and how to harness that and lead with that. And that's become much more of a whereas Pi is quite free to play whatever game, Mercury is a little bit more constricted.

SPEAKER_00 28:48

It's a beautiful journey and experience to go on, that isn't it? Find a new facet of yourself and present that to everybody in a character and stage.

SPEAKER_01 28:56

Oh my goodness, it has led to some of the most incredible moments in in my career. I wrote a whole musical that has been put on some beautiful stages that all came from that self-reflection. Um but yeah, it was a much it's much slower process, uh much more intellectual process potentially than Pi. Pi was quite from here, quite instinctive. Um, whereas Mercury is a little bit more thought-through.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

Yeah, and I can totally relate to that. Like when I first started, I started in burlesque. So again, a non-speaking act, it was all about dance, and then transitioning into learning to play Marilyn and becoming a speaking, singing, talking act was like God, there's such a shift and a mindset, and like you say, all the things that you have to think about, and how and so it's different. I'm playing somebody, but yeah, it was I'm so grateful because playing Marilyn helped me find my voice, which I probably never would have necessarily ventured into, but I'm so Grateful for that because that journey again has led me to be able to host and do things. So it's sort of like you discover these little facets of yourself as a performer as you progress along your journey, as you're always if you're always open to progress and make changes, you know, and love.

Language Beyond Words And Touring

SPEAKER_01 30:14

Oh, absolutely. Would you say that um because I I think that that similarity between us, I'd be really interested to know. Would you say that the more the the non-speaking acts, the more physical performance, sort of comes more from the body, whereas the speaking comes more from the brain?

SPEAKER_00 30:32

Yeah, like because yeah, with my I guess my style of burlesque, it's very sexy and sensual. So it's like a yeah, it just comes from women. It's like this is the essence of my um femininity and my sensuality and my sexuality, and that is my style as a performer, so it's definitely more of a feeling.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

Yeah, it's not so cerebral, you haven't decided to look like that.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Yeah, it's just coming from you. Yeah, whereas like you say with the Marilyn, I'm thinking about my script, how Marilyn would interact with people because it's always that, and I suppose it's the same for you as Mercury, because you're still a character. So when you're on stage, you're going for me. I'm like, oh well, well, what would Marilyn say? And how would Marilyn say that? And what would Marilyn sound like? So there's always that mental conversation that you're going through when you're a talking, speaking, kind of singing act, which is a different, yeah, different process, but still fun in its own way.

SPEAKER_01 31:24

Oh, absolutely. I think also I I guess the world is, and this is something I find fascinating. We are so reliant on verbal communication, even though it's a tiny percentage of what actually is communicated, like gesture, facial expression, body language is a much bigger part of communication. But because the world is so centered around verbal communication, I find myself thinking more about what I'm saying and and how it comes across and what those words mean, and do people understand? Whereas with with pie and with physical performance, that that just happens. I think if people don't understand, they will eventually.

SPEAKER_00 32:10

Yeah. That's the the beauty, isn't it? That sometimes when you travel around the world and you can be in a room with people and you don't speak the same language, yet you're able to communicate through the physicality. That's like I guess that you would say like movement and dance is universal in that sense.

SPEAKER_01 32:26

So and I think having that experience and that training, and I guess that foundation as a physical as a purely physical performer has been incredibly useful to me as a speaking host, because I've had the privilege of doing a couple of world tours as a host, and generally I'm hosting in English, very often in countries where English is not the first language, and my ability, I think, to also communicate non-verbally just means that what I'm saying, the words I'm saying, are hopefully understood uh because they are accompanied by a more physical way of communication.

unknown 33:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:14

It's a great skill to have, isn't it?

What Burlesque Really Is

SPEAKER_01 33:16

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, I'd love to speak more languages.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:20

But uh yeah, I haven't quite nailed the art of hosting in Swedish yet. Yet. There is time.

SPEAKER_00 33:28

So moving on to like the art of burlesque, how would you personally describe burlesque to somebody who's never seen a show? Because some of our audiences are listening, like some people have seen and heard burlesque, and some are going to be completely new to burlesque. Who is explaining it to a complete newbie?

SPEAKER_01 33:46

I think it's tricky because burlesque is is and can be so many things. Um, I like to try and take it back to its roots uh and the concept of la burla or satire. And I think that has been my way into the industry because la burla, satire is play, it's clowning, it's connecting with an audience, it's finding that that joy together, um, whether it be silly joy or seductive joy or romantic joy, whatever the story is. So I like to take it back to that point and go, it's a it's a short form of performance where an a being will come onto the stage and with you as an audience create something, create a moment, a very live present moment. I think since those origins, many artists have adopted burlesque and and it has become combined with other art forms they do, whether that be dance or comedy or striptease or whatever the different form, showgirl, like there are so many different terms that have been combined with burlesque. So now you will go to a burlesque show and you will see a burlesque showgirl or a burlesque striptease artist or a burlesque clown, and it's a fusion between that essence of live connected play and whatever their other skills are as an artist. Um, but yeah, I think at its essence, I like to describe it as a present connected art form, often involving the removal of clothes, but not always. Yeah, not always uh that happens live with uh with an audience.

SPEAKER_00 35:47

And that's the beauty of going to see a full burlesque show, isn't it? That there's so many micro moments throughout the show of different acts present in different styles and forms of bales.

SPEAKER_01 35:56

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 35:56

There'll be something in the show for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 35:59

Yeah. And I think the short-form nature of it, the I guess variety nature of it means that you will experience something. We'll experience a piece of art for five, six, ten, fifteen minutes, and then you'll experience something that could be entirely different because I think at its root, the best burlesque, and this is something I try and teach, should come from that person. So thus I think it should be entirely unique because it's coming from you rather than it's feathers and rhinestones and sequins that I put on and then I do this move because quote unquote, that's what burlesques do. I think it coming from each person and finding the way that that person does it that's the key.

SPEAKER_00 36:56

That's the magic, isn't it? Coming to the heart, yeah. Your connectivity with the true part of who you are and showcasing that on stage within the genre of burlesque.

SPEAKER_01 37:07

Yeah, and I guess finding your voice within the industry and what it is you're trying to say, and and I think burlesque is inherently sexy because it does come from within. And I'm talking about proper burlesque here. I think any burlesque that's like quote unquote trying to be sexy very often can miss the mark because if you're not connecting to your inner drive, then there's not an authenticity, and authenticity is sexy. Authenticity and confidence is sexy. Whether you are a sensual person or a hilarious, ridiculous person, seeing you be confident and authentic is attractive.

SPEAKER_02 37:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

And I think that's where the sexy element of burlesque comes from. Because very often I hear people differentiate and go, oh, it's comedy burlesque or it's sexy burlesque. And I'm like, I don't know. I think all burlesque can be sexy and all burlesque can be funny. So I don't think separating it like that necessarily is helpful.

SPEAKER_00 38:12

Yeah, because it can be so what I love sometimes about in performing burlesque is like I can go into a really sexy moment with the audience and be really seductive and then just puncture it with a little comedy face. And that's the like blend in of the like the authenticity of like that's then my playful side coming through in my burlesque.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

Exactly. And it it's your playful side, it's not like a playful side that you've seen and gone, oh, I'll I'll copy that move. It's coming from you, and so I think that is where the sexy comes from.

Authenticity, Sexy, And Play

SPEAKER_00 38:59

What makes you take what you connect with, and then discover how to share that in the genre.

SPEAKER_01 39:05

Exactly. I think it all needs to come from from within. I think as soon as you're putting on a costume and trying to be X, Y, or Z, I think you've missed the mark of burlesque. At that point, you're just imitating or copying.

SPEAKER_02 39:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:22

And whilst it could be a very good imitation, it could be a very flattering copy. We as an audience will not receive that same kind of authenticity from you and from the performance.

SPEAKER_00 39:35

There's no like connection, is there? Because you can see that it's just a two-dimensional portrayal on a stage and not a fully rounded, like 3D, 5D comprehension.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

Exactly. I think as cabaret and burlesque artists, we bring our heart and soul onto the stage with us. And if burlesque or cabaret is a costume for you and nothing more, then it's inherently lacking that heart and soul. I think it's incredibly important to manage how much of our heart and soul we bring onto the stage. Um, but I do think that's what sets true burlesque apart.

SPEAKER_00 40:15

Yeah. Bringing it bearing your heart and soul.

SPEAKER_01 40:18

Yeah. Yeah. In in a healthy, well-managed way.

SPEAKER_00 40:24

Could I ask, how would you how do you approach costuming, choreography, or storytelling in your routines?

SPEAKER_01 40:32

Hmm. I think a lot of my approach probably comes from my training as an actor. Everything has symbolism, and I'm very used to working with designers and costumiers and going, well, this is what I'm trying to get across. This is what the story is about. How can we also tell that story within the aesthetic, within the costume? Um, I usually find with my performance, one of them leads and the others then follow. So I might have a story that I go, this I really want to tell this story, and this is the reason for this story, and this is what I'm trying to get across. And then the choreography and the music and the costume, I will look for ways of that also telling that story. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:29

It's beautiful, isn't it? Because we've collaborated on a few acts now. We have been so joyous. I mean, with with the martini glass, and you came out and you did your waiter thing that you created out of purely out of the essence of like, we need to kind of cover up that we're gonna be putting this huge martini glass on stage and or make a thing of it. Um yeah, like let's how do we make that into an act in itself? And you came up with such a beautiful routine and an act for that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 42:03

I think I always put a lot of thought and work into everything I do, and I think often that isn't that doesn't come across necessarily, yeah. And I think that's probably something a lot of cabaret and burlesque artists feel.

SPEAKER_00 42:17

Yeah, because you make it look so easy.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

Exactly. Exactly. A lot of people look at what we do and go, oh well, that looks really easy. I could do that, yeah. But there's so much thought that has gone into it, and with that martini routine, like I very much was looking at kind of your performance and what you were going to do, and the tone of it, and the era of it, and the character that you were going to be bringing to the stage, and going, what do I need to do to set up the stage and the audience and the atmosphere of the show for that? Um, because I could come out and do a little comedy routine, but then it would just feel like that's just been stuck on the beginning. Whereas it I wanted to create it as sort of the perfect setup. And I think by looking slightly beneath the layer, it's musically what tone does my performance need to have in order for it not to detract but to set up. So, with that particular example, I I obviously I went very classic with the music, but I went very high energy so that the audience at the end of my little setup, where the martini is prepared, almost need that kind of like, I've built them up. And then they just need a luscious breath, which is the energy that your act comes in with, that kind of calm, sophisticated, glamorous richness. Um, whereas if I'd done a performance that was the same energy, by the time you come on, they've already had it for two minutes. So I think that is very much the process I it's quite an intellectual process.

SPEAKER_00 44:06

It's really that so thought out, and I'm so grateful to you for the depth that you bring to your performances and how much care and attention you put into that. Because that, like you say, that flow just worked beautifully, and we always have such a beautiful moment when that you know, where you've done your piece, and then you're like, and here she is. And I feel so special coming on stage because I'm like, but I think that's I think that's our job.

SPEAKER_01 44:31

I think what I love, and again, I think a lot of this comes from my training and background as a theatre performer and actor, um, is I love being in a show with other people, and burlesque and cabaret can very much become a solo art form where you know an artist just comes on and does their bit and then leaves. But I genuinely believe it's my duty to take the bat on from whoever's been on before me and hand it to whoever's coming on after. And that way the audience goes on more of a journey.

SPEAKER_00 45:07

Yeah. It's a beautiful flow in it, isn't it?

Story, Costume, And Collaboration

SPEAKER_01 45:10

I think so. And I think that that's what I endeavour to do is to always pass that bat on in a way that's gonna benefit the artist or the performer that is coming on stage afterwards. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:27

You're so great with it, because I remember when I came up with a concept for the Viking Shield Maiden act that I was gonna create, and I had this wild concept of an idea, I was like, you know, there's gonna be stage combat and fire and blah blah. And then I came to you and I was like, Would you like to be in this? Like, because I think you would be great, and like come like just remember coming to you and being like, Can you play Thor? Like, I was like, I need this setup for the act, and I'd like to have this voiceover, and it it needs to be like Odin, and I want you to be Thor. And like, I remember us brainstorming this whole idea.

SPEAKER_01 46:01

I mean, it was wild. I mean, that was one of those moments where I was like, I don't think I ever envisaged playing Thor, the god of thunder.

SPEAKER_00 46:11

But you come up with such a great costume and concept, and like the voiceover, and like it just even think about it now, it brings me so much joy.

SPEAKER_01 46:23

It was daft, wasn't it? It was it was sort of unapologetic in a way, I think. Because it needed to be, because you were coming on and doing this like powerful, like here I am Viking warrior. And so the energy that I was like wanting to give and wanting to leave the audience with was right, here we are, we're unapologetic, let's go. And yeah, ended up doing it as Thor.

SPEAKER_00 46:51

But in a very pie way, which in a very pie way.

SPEAKER_01 46:54

Yeah, it was sort of like it was I remember starting with my back to the audience and then turning around and then seeing the the fantasy that I had come up with of Thor, very much like the Claren version of Thor.

SPEAKER_00 47:11

You got the helmet and you crystalled it all and everything, didn't you? And the hammer everybody at home, I will share a video clip of this because I'm sure I have some. Oh, it's it was just that brought my heart and soul so much joy working on that project with you. Oh, it's one of those that I will always treasure, and I'm so grateful that you were just a joy to work with.

SPEAKER_01 47:36

You came to me with a game, with a with a thing to play with, in a new thing for my dressing app box, which as a clown I was like, great, I've not been a Norse god. Why not? Why not? Chris Hemsworth can do it.

SPEAKER_02 47:54

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:55

Some people say Chris Hemsworth was inspired by my performance. If you are listening, Chris, I love you.

SPEAKER_00 48:06

So I guess in this written, that that for me is definitely a magical stage moment of sharing those nights with you doing that. Can you share a moment on stage that was especially meaningful for you in your career?

SPEAKER_01 48:19

Hmm. There have been so many. I've been really, really lucky in my career to share some really important and special moments with people. Most pretty much every time I go on stage, I it feels special. If I look back, I think the moments that really stand out are when I competed in some different competitions. Um, I did the Kutch Festival in Wales really early on in my time, and then I went to do the European Queen of Burlesque, uh, which unfortunately got interrupted by COVID. Um, but both of those times I remember standing on stage, and it wasn't so much a a recognition or a or a an acceptance that I was looking for. I don't think it was that. It was more of a, okay, so what I am doing is translating, and the audience are receiving this and they are finding joy in this. And that was sort of that really stands out for me because both times I was so shocked to receive the the prize in both occasions. And I just remember standing there and going, Oh, so you do get it. That, you know, I I already I love what I do and I've accepted who I am, so it's not an acceptance that I need, but it's a really nice reaffirming that an audience does receive what I'm putting out.

SPEAKER_00 50:02

It's that validation, isn't it? That they see you and they hear you.

Passing The Baton On Stage

SPEAKER_01 50:06

And it resonates with them, even though I am sort of a semi-cross-dressed mime artist in a Charlie Chaplin Leotard, like somehow for those audiences, yeah, that resonated with them. And and I think I love what I do, and I I'm very happy with what I do and very confident with what I do. But to know that that speaks to people and it unlocks something, whether it is self-confidence or living out your dreams, or freedom and expression, or releasing that inner child, whatever the thing is that an audience receives, knowing that they are receiving it is is really important to me. Because ultimately I I am doing this for an audience.

SPEAKER_02 51:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:07

I think there is a lot of cabaret and burlesque that isn't for an audience, that is for one's own journey, and that is incredibly important. And I have done a lot of that, but when I am performing for an audience who bought a ticket, I I am performing for them.

SPEAKER_02 51:23

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:24

So I want them to receive it and enjoy it and get take something from it.

SPEAKER_00 51:29

It's remembering it's not always about ourselves, isn't it? Of like, actually, our job is to give.

SPEAKER_01 51:34

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 51:35

We're there to to share that with people and just be in that, you know, magical. Like I often say to people, like, I don't get up on stage because I want people to look at me or clap for me. It's like I want to connect and I want to open up a space for people to feel something and to get away from their problems and just have fun. That's what I live for doing it.

SPEAKER_01 51:57

It's not for the you know it's not for the applause. It's taking it back to what we were saying earlier about the conversation between the performer and the audience. If it's all for the audience, it I don't think it's cabaret. And if it's all for the performer, I I think I think there is a space for that. Um, but I I think very often we are doing shows for people that buy tickets because they want to see a show. So let's put on a show for them. It's not for me.

SPEAKER_00 52:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:32

It's for them.

SPEAKER_00 52:33

For all of them, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:36

Would you say there's anything in the burlesque world that might surprise people?

SPEAKER_01 52:41

Oh, um lots of things. I think for people not in the burlesque world, yeah. I think it's the it's the sort of feet paddling under the surface that is very often surprising. Yeah. Because I think, as I said, a lot of people think what we do looks easy because it looks effortless. But the well, the hours of getting ready for that moment on stage, and that's just in terms of like putting together the the hair and the face and the costume and and stretching and preparing for that one performance. That's not taking into account the weeks and months and years of planning and and designing and choreoc choreography and choosing music and research. So I think a lot of people would be surprised by how hard it is.

SPEAKER_02 53:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:40

And how hard it should be. And this is something I try and teach at the Soho School of Bellesque, is it shouldn't be easy. It shouldn't be painful. Like, please, if if you are feeling emotional turmoil because you're going to do a balesque act, maybe it's not the right thing to do. But it shouldn't be easy because as I say, people have bought a ticket. Um, and I think a lot of people are surprised by how much planning and thought and and that does result very often in in tensions when people maybe don't respect or appreciate that. Uh and I I know very often I've had to sort of go, Oh, I've actually put a lot of work into this. And sometimes you can tell and sometimes you can't. But if you can't, it's probably because I've put more work into it.

SPEAKER_00 54:41

Yeah, we've made it look effortless.

SPEAKER_01 54:43

Exactly. Like I've worked my butt off to make this look seamless. And uh, and I'm glad that it does. But there are there's a lot of paddling under the surface, no matter how much we glide on top.

Memorable Moments And Validation

SPEAKER_00 54:59

The kind of moments before you go on stage, isn't it, where sometimes things are not quite right, and collectively you're all going, Oh my god, how do I figure in this out like in the moment while still delivering the performance of a lifetime that the audience deserves?

SPEAKER_01 55:13

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 55:14

Um it's kind of like the the resilience of performers and artists, isn't it? I guess in unique to cabaret and burlesque is that we are so resilient as performers and artists because every we pop up in different venues, very often without the foundation in place to necessarily prepare ourselves. Like no rehearsals, no dressing rooms, collectively the cabaret troupe of that evening somehow like rummage together and a show happens. And I think it'd be quite surprising for the audiences at home, wouldn't it, to understand that it's not, you know, we don't get a like a day rehearsal before a show or a week's rehearsal. Sometimes it's like a tech run on the day. The end, the end, get on with it, figure it out.

SPEAKER_01 55:59

Yeah, these paid people have paid 20, 30, 40 quid plus to come and see you.

SPEAKER_00 56:05

And it's the kind of the endurance and the professionalism of balesque and cabaret artists that it despite whatever's going on, and you know, lighting cues have gone wrong, somebody's got the wrong microphone, this isn't on stage, I've lost part of my costume, but you glide onto that stage, like you say, as if there's nothing's wrong, and the audience get the best.

SPEAKER_01 56:27

Because they deserve it. Because yeah, they they aren't the ones who decided you weren't gonna have weeks of rehearsal. I'd love weeks of, you know.

SPEAKER_00 56:36

I do imagine the dream.

SPEAKER_01 56:37

Oh my god, whenever I get to do a theatre project, it's it's truly astonishing. And there's a few that I've been a part of, and hopefully a couple more coming up, where there's a a particular designer, um, well, designing duo called Darling and Edge, who I've worked with for years, and they always say to producers of theatre projects that are bringing in cabre artists, they're always like, Oh, you wait, you wait. These people, they make it happen. And they make it happen with very little support and and no space, and and you would be surprised by how much they can make happen from how little. And so when you have like a six-week rehearsal process, oh my goodness, how many shows do you want?

SPEAKER_00 57:30

Totally true. So I think this is a question that I'd really love to ask you, and um, because I think you have such beautiful explanations for everything that you say. Um, what role does community or identity, e.g., like body positivity, feminine, or queerness, play in your work?

SPEAKER_01 57:53

I think there is an inherentness that uh that you can't avoid when you are doing a performance that is as uh connected to you, your authentic self. So for me, queerness uh is inherently part of my performance. Um how much at the forefront of what I do that is varies. I was once given some really good advice because I remember very early on, after I'd sort of found myself in the world of cabaret, I'd created one number that was sort of quite important and disgusting identity. And I had got myself stuck in this space where I thought everything I created had to be like a political manifesto. And I remember someone saying, No, no, just the act of existing on stage as your authentic self and doing burlesque, which very much is showing your authentic body. Um just that is already inherent and political. So you don't need to like slap on a message, as it were. So I think a lot of and that really stayed with me, that advice. And a lot of my performance can just be about let's just have a nice time and let's spread some joy and let's make something funny or glamorous or whatever, and my queerness will just be there because it's part of me. Um, but then at the other end of the spectrum, I have written a musical about queer history, so it's quite inherently a part of that. That's quite that's very much at the forefront. So I think it it's a scale, but as I said, the act of existing as your true and authentic self is inherently political, and w whether that is uh as a queer person or as a woman or As whatever, whatever your body is, whatever your identity is, if you are standing there authentically, it's going to be a part of that.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:10

And that will affect how an audience sees you. So I think it's learning to work with that.

The Hidden Work Behind The Sparkle

SPEAKER_00 1:00:19

And it's it's that the ultimate act of rebellion, isn't it? To show up authentically as yourself.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:25

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:26

And especially where we get to be on stage as well. And I think when you show up authentically as yourself, you shine that light for others to see the part of you in themselves and feel less alone in the world, I think sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:40

That's it. I think I think people the the phrase representation matters gets thrown around a lot, but it really does. And whatever people see when they watch my performance, I really hope that they can see something that they relate to and that they can feel more connected to that and more open about that. Whether that is a something relating to their gender identity or their sexuality or their confidence and the way that they put themselves out in the world or the way that their body looks or whatever it is. Like, I think it's so validating to see something that you relate to on stage. I know I've had that experience as an audience member, and as you say, it's a true act of rebellion to be authentic.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:34

And we need that more now than ever in the world, don't we? I think, you know, to be our rebellious authentic selves. I think in in 2020, no, 2025. Oh, 2025. And then like what?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:45

I don't know, 19, 23.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:48

To be the ultimate act of rebellion, yeah, to be authentically yourself.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:52

Yeah, especially as I think a lot of these, as the world kind of continues and and becomes more connected because of social media, uh, something I've definitely found is that identities sort of become pigeonholed a little bit, and there is like a right way of doing body positivity or or being visibly queer or whatever. Um, and I think actually turning up and being like, no, no, this is how I do it, yeah, is is so important because a lot of people can't conform to the quote unquote correct way of doing it.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:31

So hopefully you provide them a more open box, as it were. Mimes talking about being stuck in boxes. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:44

So, um, what advice would you give to someone curious about trying burlesque for the first time?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:51

I'd say do it. Yeah. I'd say absolutely go for it. Know why you're doing it.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:58

I think it's really important to know what it is you want to get out of it. Um, and I I say this without any kind of hierarchy or this is better than that. Maybe you do want to be a performer that is is booked and flown around the world and and put in these big, expensive shows. Maybe you're doing it because you want to connect more with your body and your own sensuality and sexuality. Maybe you're doing it for confidence. Maybe you're doing it because you want to challenge social norms. Whatever reason you're doing it for is completely valid, but I think it's important to know why you're doing it, because I think that will identify how you should go about approaching it. But do it. If you you know, if you want to feel glamorous for a day, there's a burlesque world waiting for those people. And if you want to become a new headline show girl, there is a a career path for that as well. But and neither is better or worse than the other, but just different, just different. And I think it's really important to know why you're doing it because if you don't, or if you're confused about why you're doing it, you will end up on a stage in front of the wrong audience, and that is not good for anyone. I and I think that can also relate to each performance you create. I will not do the same performance for uh a commercial audience as I will for a fringe audience because they're wanting different things from me. And if I try and give commercial to fringe or vice versa, they aren't gonna get what they want, and then it's gonna be tense. And of course it is. So yeah, I say do it, know why you're doing it, but yeah, go and connect to your authenticity.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:00

Yeah, have fun and play with your inner child.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:03

Exactly. Let let it out. Let your hair down or put your hair up, whatever suits. Yeah, don't do anything with your hair. Whatever, whatever you want to do with your hair, do it.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:14

So, would you have any like why anything that you've kind of learned or experienced through burlesque over the years? Any wise words that you would like to leave with our audiences, anything that comes to mind?

Community, Identity, And Queerness

SPEAKER_01 1:05:29

Anything you I think ultimately knowing why you're doing it is so important because it also affects the way you approach it, the way you reflect from it. And I think that is so important when you are turning up as your authentic self, to to know why you're sharing this part of yourself and to be prepared to share it and to reflect appropriately. I think that is probably the biggest advice. And also to to be authentic, to connect to who you are, not to connect to this cardboard cutout of what you think cabaret or bellesque is. Like there's sort of no right or wrong way of doing it, um other than inauthentic, like which I think is the wrong way of doing it.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:24

And that's probably a thesis for life, isn't it? Of like try to find more ways to connect with your authentic self in life.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:34

It's written on fridge magnets, be yourself because everyone else has taken. Like we've had it on tea towels for decades and centuries. I don't know how long tea towels have been around. Um, but ultimately it is about connecting to that authenticity.

unknown 1:06:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:52

Especially if you're gonna put yourself in front of an audience. Like share something of you.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:57

Share something truly of you with others. And I think when we do that, when we share something truly with ourselves, with others in an authentic way, it opens up such a beautiful connection, doesn't it? Of like that vulnerability to show somebody who you are and open up space for them to see you and come closer to you in that way.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:17

And I I think I come up against that a lot in teaching. And I love teaching because I love to see the new ideas and the new creativity that is coming into the industry and the community. Um and it's so interesting. I've had so many students who don't want to go down to tassels and are having an existential moment, an existential crisis, because they're saying, Oh no, I'm not a burlesque artist if I don't get my tassels out. And I'm like, that's who says? Like, do do your version of burlesque and let's make sure yours speaks to who you are, speaks to why you're doing this, and ultimately is appropriate for the audience you want to share it with. And yeah, do it your way.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:06

Do it your way. Well, thank you so much for joining us on this episode.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:11

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:12

It's been a pleasure and a joy to speak to you as always.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:15

Oh, it's been wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:16

Well, honestly, thank you. It's just been an honour and a pleasure to share this space with you today. And hopefully, everybody listening or viewing at home has taken something from today, and we've inspired people and yeah, just sending out lots of love. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:33

No, thank you so much, such a privilege to be on.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:35

And I do have a very special gift for you. Oh, so because today's episode is sponsored by Crystal Parade. And I know you love your crystal sparkles as much as I do. But you sparkled that martini shaker and glasses for the app.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:50

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:51

So, yeah, we are sponsored by Crystal Parade today, and they are, as you know, fabulous. They have crystals for everything you could possibly imagine. So they let me make a little gift for you. Um, every show person needs a sparkly makeup case.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:07

Oh my goodness. With your I love it.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:12

Hi. So for those listening at home and can't see, um, pie Alexander has just been gifted a makeup case completely covered in crystals by Crystal Parade.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:23

Covered.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:24

It's gonna blind everybody in the dressing rooms.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:27

I've never had a Rhinestone one before. Oh my god, you've just you have just leveled up my makeup experience.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:35

We're all gonna want one now. Um yeah, if you want to learn more, head over to Crystal Parade and check out and you can sparkle yourself one of these beautiful uh makeup cases or sparkle whatever you like, really. Any I think any excuse to sit crystals on something, I don't know about you, but I'm if it sits still long enough, I'm like, I'm gonna put crystals on that.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:54

Yeah, I can't learn that the hard way.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:58

But there we go. I leave you a gift, and thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:01

Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:02

Well, thank you so much for joining us of this episode of Behind Burlesque. I've been Isabella Bliss, and I've been speaking with the wonderful Alexander Lutley. So please give us a like, a share, a follow, a subscribe, tell your friends, tell your family, and share the love. I will see you next time, my darlings.