How Tempest Rose Built A Modern Burlesque Empire

Burlesque isn’t just sparkle, striptease, and a few familiar clichés. When we sit down with Tempest Rose, one of the leading figures in the UK’s modern burlesque revival and the founder of House of Burlesque, we get the real story of how an art form built on satire, individuality, and nerve becomes a lifelong craft. She takes us back to the early days: auditioning in a Brixton church hall, learning fast on packed show nights, and discovering that one “hit” act doesn’t stop you from being humbled by the next one. 

We also go deep on confidence and body image, not as buzzwords but as lived experience. Tempest explains how burlesque widens what we see as beautiful, how community can change your relationship with your body over decades, and why your social media feed quietly shapes your self-worth. If you’ve ever wanted to feel more at home in your own skin, you’ll hear practical, grounded advice on building a friendlier connection with yourself, whether you’re taking burlesque classes in London or simply learning to take up space in everyday life. 

Then we lift the curtain on the work: producing, touring, budgets, and the mental load of running shows. Tempest shares the boundaries that keep her sane, why “get to the solution” matters, and what it really takes to go from performer to producer. We also talk about the future of burlesque, the pressure to be polished, and why authenticity and a little rebellion are the engines of innovation in cabaret and live performance. 

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Transcript

Welcome And Meet Tempest Rose

SPEAKER_00 0:01

It's not just feathers and fishnets. Welcome to the real world behind this buckle. I'm Isabella Bliss, international performer, Marilyn Monroe Tribute coach, and lifelong lover of secrets and storytelling. Each month I sit down with performers, producers, creatives and the beautiful misfits shaping our world. We talk career highs, backstage lows, body image, empowerment, and everything in between. If you're a performer or a fan or just curious as to what really happens behind the scenes, you're definitely in the right place. Make sure you hit follow for your monthly dose of truth, tackles, and behind the scenes brilliance. Our show is proudly sponsored by Crystal Parade, which is your go-to for all your sparkly showgirl news. And I'm very excited to introduce you to my next guest. My next guest is the one of the leading figures in the UK's modern burlesque revival and the founder and creative director of House of Burlesque. A performer, producer and creative director, she is headlined everywhere from the Hippodrome Casino to luxury events around the world with credits including MTV, Channel 4, and the BBC. In 2020, House of Burlesque was recognised by Arts Council England as one of the UK's top cultural institutions, and through her academy and productions, she has helped thousands of women discover confidence, empowerment through the art of burlesque. Please welcome the incredible Tempest Rose.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Thank you for coming on. And it's like, like, how does it feel to read? I mean, I know that's not all of what you do, that's a kind of like brief, you do so much in the industry in the community, and we were talking before we came on stage at your DJ as well, which like blows my mind. Um, but how does it feel? Because we were saying before we came on it, it's 20 years you've been in the industry, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Next year, yeah, which seems wild to me. I said to you, I still feel 20s. We are still 20, right? Yeah, exactly. Um, so I it feels beautiful and I've to hear those things because I think it's difficult when you're a performer. The you know, performing is transient, like the moment happens and then it's gone. So we can forget what we achieve. And I'm a big fan of saying to performers, like, write it down because you'll forget what you've done and you'll have days where you think what's the point? Yeah, and to look back on everything you've achieved really can be a tonic because again, like we're on stage, it's a beautiful five minutes, it's gone, then you're at home on your sofa, and it can be easy to downplay um everything that we we do get to do, and and burlesque allows for some beautiful things.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

It does, it allows for a really magical life, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

So let's start from the very beginning. When did you first discover burlesque? Do you remember the magic moment?

SPEAKER_01 2:51

I do. I was in musical theatre at the time, um, not doing great. I'd been in musical theatre and theatre in general for probably a couple of years, looking out for any opportunity as you do. And I had studied dance, acting, singing, so I had a sort of range of skill sets available to me, which I think is really important as an artist, whatever field you're in. And a friend of a friend had said, Oh, I know someone who runs a burlesque troupe and they're auditioning. I didn't even know what burlesque was. And actually at the time I wasn't available for the audition and then forgot about it, and then another year went by, and then it came up again. I sort of feel destined to have ended up in this world, which is something I know that a lot of burlesque performers say. It's like you find an art

Finding Burlesque By Accident

SPEAKER_01 3:40

form that's almost made exactly for you, and it's such a beautiful revelation. So then I did audition for the for the troop, the kitten club, run by Dolores Deluxe, my burlesque mother. Oh, yeah. And um, I still didn't really know what burlesque was, I'll be honest. It was 2007, so super early. Burlesque was still very underground, and I thought it would be something a bit like the Kit Kat Club in the film Cabaret, which I adored. And I wasn't wrong because the Kitten Club was a very um British burlesque style troupe, so lots of satire, lots of silliness, very bawdy, very rude, really comedy-based. And so I literally hunted through my drawer for any kind of underwear which might be something that might not just be private if that makes sense. Like might look remotely performance-based. And then a boyfriend had given me a corset one time. So I cobbled together. Yeah, oh, this will do some rickety old thog, but it didn't look too bad. No, there was no crystals in 2007. There was like four in the whole industry. Yes, they all belonged to Dieter. So put that together. I think I even lip-synced or sang along to a Christina Guilera track because back to basics, the double album hadn't long been out, and I was obsessed with that album before even knowing what burlesque was. And so I did this audition in a church hall in Brixton, sat and had a chat with Dolores and the other people on the audition panel, and then she invited me to Velupte, which was one of our very early, sadly, no longer there venues, supper clubs, kind of underground in the Chancery Lane area. Um and again, it was one of many auditions I was going for. I didn't really know what it was. And when I watched the show, though, I was like, oh, this is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Like the penny dropped.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

Yeah. And then I was suddenly thought, oh my god, I really want this job. Surely they wouldn't invite me to watch a show just to be like, here's what you didn't win. So luckily, they she asked at the end of the show, How did you find it? Would you would you like to try, let you know, come and do a couple of shows? And I was like, Yes, yes, yes, yes. And after a year of being in the kitten club but still pursuing acting, I just thought, no, I'm not, I'm a performer, I'm not an actor. And this is what I should be doing. And so I I stopped acting, um, yeah, probably a year or two years after, and started working on solo stuff outside the troop as well. And that's the the wonderful gift the universe gave me by accidentally presenting me with this incredible industry that I could make a mark in.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

It's amazing, isn't it? Like, do you remember the first time you ever stepped on stage to do burlesque? Do you remember what that felt like? Because I suppose maybe it was like different coming from performing arts and being in musical theatre like training. Was it slightly less nerve-wracking stepping out on stage doing burlesque because you'd already had so much experience and training in that experience, or was it still the first time you did burlesque? What would what did it feel like?

SPEAKER_01 6:48

Oh, that's such a good question. Um, it was a mix. So the structure of the show, we had a troop and there was about six of us. And so every performer had to do two acts and then do group numbers as well. So you were below you start and you don't stop. You're probably on about nine times during a whole run. And we do two shows a night as well. And coming from a more structured theatre background, that didn't phase me too much because if you do a musical, you're not putting your own work into it, but you are on stage that amount of time. And um the first routine I created, so yeah, I had to do two solos, no pressure. Yeah, put it together. It was much more kind of skit-based environment. So I think the pressure when you create work nowadays is much more intense than back in the day. I think back then it was all a bit of an experiment, and it it was, you know, you try it, if it works, it works. If it doesn't, next time you try something else. So the first act I did was to Madonna's Hanky Panky. And was done in this really geeky voice, like, I like hanky panky. And people thought it was really funny. I did it for years, so I had like a um a hit with my first solo. The second solo, terrible, and that was much more a quote-unquote burlesque. So I I mean, look, I would never create this act now, this is 2007. So I think I came out as like the Mamara Golds and was cleaning up a little bit, and then you have the catalyst, and then you become this sexy performer. It's a sort of very well-worn kind of dowdy sensual goddess. But I'd never worn suspenders before, I'd never worn stockings, I'd never really properly looked at striptees and given that art form the respect and time it deserved because everything was created so fast, and I was a comedy baby, really. Um, and so I remember doing that act and feeling like, oh my god, what am I doing? Like, this is awkward because that costuming is difficult to wear, and you have to get used to it, and then you have to handle all of the fastenings, and you're in a different way of being confident in classic, burlesque. I mean, it's not necessarily a classic act, but when you're bringing striptees and that sort of command of the stage is a totally different way of being, and I that was I had underestimated how daunting that would be and how difficult it would be. So I had this sort of weird experience. Firstly, it flies by. Some of it I was very comfortable with, but I definitely remember, and I finished that second act, and I thought, yeah, that's not let's go back to the drawing board. I did not smash that at all.

SPEAKER_00 9:30

So you had a kind of like a little bit of a humbling moment with that kind of second one, which is like I think ballesse does that to us sometimes, doesn't it? It teaches us so many new facets about ourselves every time we step on stage with new acts and new concepts. Of sometimes the idea in your head doesn't always, even if you rehearsed it and practiced it, you can step out on stage in front of a live audience and go, Oh, that didn't quite land how I thought.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Yeah, and it takes great courage, doesn't it? Because you can't tell if it lands unless you put it in front of an audience.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

So we have to really uh bring our bravery, don't we, to the full see if it works.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

And the fact that you're bringing that kind of new new act, new material, um

First Acts And Onstage Humbling

SPEAKER_00 10:10

content onto the stage, but you're also removing your clothes at the same time, which is like another level of vulnerability. I know not always in burlesque we are, but um there can be that like extra vulnerability of like, yeah, so yeah, it's amazing. So did you start so your performing name, um Tempest, how did you decide your full performing name? What was the story behind that? Did you always use that name?

SPEAKER_01 10:33

Or I really wanted to use the name Tempest, and I because I heard of Tempest Storm, of course. Very fair. Yeah, and I got to see her in Vegas, which was amazing.

SPEAKER_02 10:46

Tree.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

Um, and I I don't know, there's just something like it's so um atmospheric and uh kind of yeah, the storm, and you've got the T and the P and it was really explosive. I loved Tempest, and I wanted to be Tempest Blue originally, but there was a kitten blue already in the truth. Oh so um I don't know how I ended up on Rose. This is pre-Burlesque the film, so we hadn't quite had the explosion of the burlesque erasers as we went on to have. Um yeah, and I was a bit okay, I'll be Tempest eras. And I remember feeling, I don't know if you had this, but I really sticks in my mind walking home one night and kind of going over names in my mind and kind of trying out how they felt and feeling oh, this name could be the thing that the me that goes somewhere and I must choose it correctly because it's important. And when so I chose Tempest Rose, which I now much prefer to Tempest Bloom. But when I did my first ever professional shoot and I looked at the pictures and I nearly cried because I thought it doesn't look like a Tempest Rose. I don't know what another name is. Um I mean, you sort of you grow into your name, your name grows into you. It it's it's a process.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

It is, yeah. And I think um, I don't know if you had the same that when you were deciding a name, when I was really thinking about it, because before performing in burlesque, I'd been to quite a lot of shows and I was trying to watch and listen and understand. And the thing that I noticed quite a lot was like a lot of burlesque names would play on words, which I thought was really great and really cute. But the thing that I noticed is if they were too complicated, the host couldn't pronounce it, and then people I couldn't remember it if I wanted to search the performer. So I was I remember going into it thinking, when I'm choosing my burlesque name, it needs to be something that A, the host can pronounce really easily, like let's not make their job any harder than it is, but also B that people could remember it and recognize it if they wanted to search you on the internet and find you to book you afterwards.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

So and it has to kind of ring like mama. You know, I'm such an idiot. I know why I chose Rose, Gypsy Rose Lee. Yeah, my most favourite ever burlesque performance. Um, yeah, that's where I got right from.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

We get that, we get that. So here we are. For anyone listening who's never seen a burlesque show or one of the shows that you produce, um, and they only kind of I guess know the cliches of the movie, yeah. Um, what would you say are kind of big differences between real life kind of burlesque and the cliches that people associate with?

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Hmm, um, I always think the movie and Dieter in their way are actually um a useful spectrum because one, I mean Dieter is obviously a burlesque performer, but she represents a very particular type of burlesque. And then on the other side, the movie burlesque, uh if I recall, I've seen it, but many years ago, do you know? I thought it was really fun. Fine. And uh if I was gonna pick the positives about it for how people view our art form, actually the sections of the performances she does that kind of go on in the background of the club, I think are quite true to something closer to what I started with, that kind of musical satire, Kit Kat Club-esque environment, sort of erotic clown and cabaret. And so I'd if someone said, Oh, is it like the film? I'd what would I say? But we say, uh yes, in in its theatricality and in its irreverent, fun atmosphere, the vibe

Choosing A Name That Fits

SPEAKER_01 14:40

I think is correct, but burlesque in general is much more about individuality, about the voice of the artist, about um you know, uh, we relv, we relv. I've just made a new word, so there we go, write that down to you. And we delve more into the uh erotic, obviously the film being what it is, is I think it's a bit fluffier.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

Yeah, bit pagey, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 15:02

Yeah. So um, I would probably say, okay, take that, take Dita at the other end. Find something in the middle. Yeah, you've probably maybe got a good angle, a good handle. But the thing that always blows people's minds, I'm sure you found it as well. The minute you say, Yeah, our audience is predominantly female, yeah, it does flip a script that they might have in their heads based on what they assume.

SPEAKER_00 15:26

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

Um so that's a fast go-to. Yeah, most of our audience is female. Oh, is it it it changes the yeah, the sort of the reel that they're playing without knowledge of being in the scenario.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

Yeah, because totally in their head, they always think that the audience is just gonna be predominantly men. And yeah, I suppose what's fascinating somewhat about what's changed about the art form is if you were to go back to the early like windmill girls of London, um, the show was probably the audience was predominantly men. Um, whereas now it is everybody and people on girly birthday parties and hen parties and couples, and I always say to people when we used to go out and do an evening of burlesque in the theatre tours, like again, people would go, Oh, is it just all men in the audience? I'd be like, No, like there is people from 18 to 80 in the audience, and that's one of the joyous things about it is it brings such a vast demographic of people together and people from all walks of life and all backgrounds just can come and enjoy burlesque and feel welcome in its home, which I really love.

SPEAKER_01 16:28

Yeah, and if you feel the same, absolutely, it's about entertainment, and again, I think people maybe misunderstand that. And I always think, oh, is your audience full of men really funny? As if men don't have a whole plethora of things they can engage with if they're looking for something that is predominantly sexual, especially nowadays. The point is to be entertained. That is the point also of our licensing that I really wish more people would remember. We are allowed to do burlesque in the huge variety of spaces in which we can perform, which is wonderful, because we are considered entertainment. That is the purpose of the engagement with the audience, and um, it's uh it's a joy, what a joy to have a life filled with making people happy. Yeah, it's lovely.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

That's like the magic of being a performer, isn't it? Of the connections that you have with people when you enjoy you echo this as well. Like, there's no better feeling than you're on stage and you're doing your act and performing your piece, and you're looking out and you catch the eyes of all of the people in the audience, and you just think this is so magical, we'll never be here again, and you see people's smiles and shocked expressions, and you're just so like in the moment is brilliant. Yeah, such a magical feeling. So, do you think how would you say this is probably a tricky question, but would you say that burlesque has affected or changed your relationship with your body over the years? Because obviously you've been in the industry a long time, and the presentation of what we do has changed in that time. Has it affected your connection with your body or yourself? What have you learned?

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Oh, so much. Um I love that burlesque has widened my perception of what is beautiful, what is aesthetical, what is desirable. Because although the world is much better in terms of what we get shown in the media, I think of kind of what we should aspire, quote unquote, to than it was 20 years ago, we still have a mainstream obsession with thinness, with having to look a certain way, that beauty always comes in a certain package, and it always

What Real Burlesque Looks Like

SPEAKER_01 18:40

has to be unattainable because that's how you're kept on the cycle of I must lose more weight, I must be, you know, I'll buy this, buy that, buy this, buy that, wear this, you know. Um but the whole point is that you can never get there. Uh what burlesque has done is filled my life and my social media feed with a uniqueness of beauty that I really enjoy and I think is really important. And when I when I started in burlesque, I was um in my mid-20s and I was naturally very slender, I was probably about size eight. And then your body changes when you get to your 30s, and then again when you get to your 40s, so I'm probably between a 12 and a 14 now. And I imagine had I not been in burlesque, I would have found that process harder to deal with. We live in our bodies, that's how we move through the world, and um, so having that connection, that friendly connection with yourself is so important. And burlesque, I think, can be a great tool for that. I would say you go to burlesque class, it doesn't matter if you never want to set foot on the stage, a good burlesque environment, a teaching environment will help you make those connections with yourself, become a friend to your own body, as well as a plethora of other wonderful things that you'll learn. And so when when my body changed a lot, it's always gonna be tricky because you have a vision of yourself and that vision is reinforced through most of the media you consume. But I feel like I was hopefully able to fast track my acceptance of who I was in my 30s, 40s, probably in my 50s, my 60s, because of the broadening of the lens of all of the incredible bodies I see through burlesque. And I always try and say to people, you know, if you're feeling bad about your body and the way that you look, look at your social media feed and see what you're consuming. And if everything is full of bodies that don't look like you and that you're supposed to be pushing yourself to be more like, then detoxify your feed. You must um train your brain to see beauty in and everywhere, you know, everyone's taste is unique. Who you find attractive is totally different to who I find attractive. Thank goodness, like what a better way to have the world. And and obviously it's not just about sexual attraction, but you know, that's where our sense of kind of what what we like, what we dislike, what we um what we feel, how we should frame ourselves. So I think burlesque has been totally transformative in that way for me, and I see it in action uh in performers I meet and in the students I teach as well.

SPEAKER_00 21:25

I was gonna say that do you see the real transformation in the students that you teach, like people that come in that have never had that connection with their body and themselves, and you're taking them through this process and this journey. Do you see the growth in them?

SPEAKER_01 21:38

Yeah, it's it's life changing, they tell me. And then over the weeks I see it with myself. Uh, maybe there's a little bit of red lipstick the the next week. So maybe the the clothing gets a bit more exciting. And whilst those are external things, you know, the act of wearing red lipstick is an act of saying, look at me. I mean, that's the point, isn't it? It's so vibrant, you can't help it. But you know, someone's wearing red lipstick, and I think that's why people can be uh scared of putting a simple thing like red lipstick on because all of a sudden you're making your mark in the space, drawing attention to yourself and part of the process of Burlesque Gazetting comfortable with that. And so watching people make little changes like that is also an indication of the fact that they're a little bit more comfortable saying, Yeah, I'm here. So what?

SPEAKER_00 22:28

A bit more comfortable taking up space, isn't it? And I always say, I don't even think you have the same whenever I'm getting ready for a show or getting ready to see Marilyn, I don't ever feel like I'm quite there until I've put the lip on. And then the lips on and I'm like, oh, I've

Body Image And Burlesque Confidence

SPEAKER_00 22:40

I've arrived, I'm ready now.

SPEAKER_01 22:41

Lips and the eyelashes. Yeah, because the world a bit.

SPEAKER_00 22:46

And there's like there's so fun in that what we get to do is we get to play dress up all the time as well, don't we? It's always say to people, you know, come and dip a toe in the cabaret and the burlesque world, and even if you just want to come as an audience member and get dressed up, like it's your permission slip and your excuse to be able to go out to an event and get dressed up and try on a bit of glamour and a bit of vintage or you know, something a little bit out of the ordinary and just play with it and have fun with it.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

Yeah. I always love saying to anyone, um, but obviously students I engage with a lot, this is your space where you cannot be too much. And people tell me this is what they love about going to Belette shows. I'm obviously a big lover of getting dressed up, otherwise, I don't think we would do what we do. But I mourn the lack of um presentation in the sort of world that we live in now. People go to the theatre looking like they're going to the gym. Some people might disagree with me on that, but having spaces where you can, again, kind of revel in glamour, revel in showing off in a good natured way and enjoying what other people have put together. It's fun, isn't it? It's nice to make an effort and to be seen and to enjoy the creative, uh, you know, the looks that other people have put together. And a burlesque show is a happy place where as an audience member, you're never gonna walk in and have somebody look at you.

SPEAKER_00 24:13

If anything, they come through you be like, oh my god, I love your outfit. Like, where did you get it or did you make it? And yeah, always endlessly curious to I love it. So I love seeing people get off and come to shows and get just so dressed up to the night. It's very wonderful, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

And even if somebody else in the audience hasn't got the memo and they're a bit sniffy, after the show, every single performer who's in the room will be like, Oh my god, you look so fierce! Thank you so much for your look tonight. You look great, it really excites us, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00 24:40

Yeah, it does. We know I can definitely notice it from the stage sometimes as well. I look out and I'm like, Oh, look at their outfit, they look fat. So, give some tips and advice of like when life and work feels intense, because when you manage so much, not just being a performer, a producer, running the school of burlesque and DJ, like you create so much. When that kind of performing side of your life becomes intense with the travel, money, rehearsals, managing social media, which we were saying is a beast in itself. How do you keep yourself grounded and take care of yourself? Like, what are your kind of self-care tips for people to not get overwhelmed?

SPEAKER_01 25:19

I think you you have to be quite strict with what communication you allow, when and where, and this was something we were talking about yesterday. Used to be email, and that was where business happened, and then WhatsApp leaked in, and then people want to talk to you on social media and Instagram and Facebook and a whole other thing, a whole row of other communication avenues, and I I try and not really tolerate a lot of that, even if I know that perhaps the person on the other end might find it. Oh, but I want to talk to you on Instagram or whatever, and there are differences. Obviously, you and I started chatting on Instagram, and that's fine because that's just a quick way of doing something before you get into the formality. Emails, yeah. Um, because I, you know, we didn't necessarily have um each other's number. So uh that's fine, sort of for the immediacy, but then I always try and move everybody over to email a communication channel that you can more easily dip in and out of and try and keep it away from your personal sphere as well. So um, because Instagram, my Instagram is my Instagram or the company Instagram, but that's another reason why I don't necessarily want to have a lot of correspondence there. One, because you can't file it. Yes, and so you can't organize it. How are you gonna remember what thread you've talked about? But two, if I want to go on and look at videos of Pomeranians, which is mostly my feed, I don't want to have to be reminded that I'm due to send a text sheet to a venue or something. You need to be able to compartmentalize, switch off a little bit and encourage people. Once you've started a chat somewhere, that's if I've emailed you, don't WhatsApp me unless it's an emergency, you know, keep within the same thread. So compartmentalizing is important. I know it can get a bad rap, but actually it's really good for your own mental health, yeah, and sanity. And one thing I really learned as a producer where time is of the essence, particularly if you're a producer-performer, which most people are on our industry art, rare that we actually split those roles. Um is um is um you've got to uh sorry, I'm so distracted.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

Was that my annoying? No, I'm really sorry, that is my watch again. Oh, you can turn it off. Sorry. You're gonna laugh. So if we keep this editing, the buzzing you can't hear in the background that got us both wildly distracted is my alarm on my watch going off. And I have an alarm that goes off every day. This is so sad. To remind me to be grateful for life. Oh, blessing. So I'm very grateful that I'm here in this moment recording this episode with you. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

I'm grateful to be part of this moment. That's completely. I was also worried it was on my phone that I had to uh committed the cardio of not putting it on something's time. So as I say, when you produce, particularly if you're a producer-performer, you learn that um to get to the solution.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

And we you really notice how much time we waste in pointless um busy work. That's the word I'm looking for. Well, oh, and look, some of that's nice. Um, and when you're in a period in your professional career whereby you can daydream a bit more collaboratively, where you know, sol you don't need to be so solution-oriented, enjoy that period. But the busier you get, something you just don't have time. Get to the point. Yeah, don't I don't have time for wallowing in the fact that the light suits didn't turn up, or wherever I don't have time and wallowing in the fact that this wig I ordered isn't exactly the thing that I wanted. Get to the solution. That is another thing I would say. Don't busy work your own, even like your own peace. Don't sacrifice your peace for wallowing. Don't ruminate, get to the solution, move on. It actually, I think, also helps your mental health as well because solutions are tangible. And then you can, I'm a big tick list believer. Tick, tick, tick, that's done, that's done, that's done. Um, and in terms of like writing to-do lists, which you absolutely must do, when I'm really busy, I allocate them to sections in the week. This is the day for this project, this is the morning where this thing will get done. And then it also stops me having to think about everything that needs to be done at once, even if it's all on a list, because you worry, don't you? Like, oh gosh, and I haven't done, I've got to write the marketing for the new course, but at the same time, I need to do a costume fitting for something else, and then do a lighting design. Like, that can be so different, the pockets that we have to look at. If I can just say to myself, that's Wednesday's problem.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:08

Then automatically I feel more

Boundaries That Protect Your Mind

SPEAKER_01 30:10

free to focus on the task in hand, but to know that the other thing is taken care of because I thought about it and I don't need to think about it now.

SPEAKER_00 30:17

Yeah. And would you say that's attributed to your success? Because I mean, you've done so much in the industry. Is that kind of like one of the things that's made you so successful is being able to carpet mentalise each project that you're because you work on such a diverse range of things?

SPEAKER_01 30:32

Yeah, definitely, definitely. Accepting that things will go wrong on the day, no matter how organized you are. Oh god, yeah. Um, is one being as organized as you can, knowing that that's going to be the case, to not give yourself extra work, to compartmentalize, to be organized, and also to um try and not muddy too much personal and work. It's hard in our industry because firstly, our creative process is personal, what we put out onto the stage comes from our souls, and it can feel weird, I think, to um almost think of that as two different parts of you. But when you're engaging, especially with the business element, although I I do think there's also a benefit to just sort of slightly compartmentalizing the creative product, quote unquote, when it's completed, so you don't live or die on every single applause or not applause that you ever get. Um you have to people have to know this is Tempest in work mode, and this is Tempest, my friend who I'm having some wine with. And we have to give other people the grace for that as well. And we work a lot with our friends, yes. Um, so I think everybody would benefit or does benefit from just knowing, okay, the way that you might talk to me when you're organizing this podcast is different to how you might talk to me if I want to, you know, have a coffee and talk about something that's happening in my personal life, you know, as a inner friend, you would give that time. But as a producer or an organizer, that is not my priority. This show is my priority, and your part in the show is the bit that I've hired you for. And so you you exist, you have to have different ways that your relationships exist, I think. Um, and some people feel maybe that's more disrespectful. I think it uh sorry, less it is a bit disrespectful. I think it's more respectful in a way because you have to acknowledge that everyone around you is a human being, yeah, that they have a work life and that they have an emotional life and a personal life, and you can you can respect both, but each one has an appropriate time and place, and in that way you kind of look after everybody's mental health, I think, a bit in stress levels, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:55

Because it can be really stressful backstage, I think it will surprise people sometimes. Like you see the grace and the elegance on the front of the stage, but like you say, no matter how much you prepare and backstage can be a bit, you know, when things aren't running as smoothly, a little bit stressful.

SPEAKER_01 33:09

I do um really uh some things that come from traditional training can get in the bin and burlesque does better, and some things I think burlesque being a much less structured industry, i.e., you know, anyone can kind of have a go at being a burlesque performer, you don't have to have come from a trained background, but would benefit from some of the mindset that comes from a more structured um training.

SPEAKER_00 33:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:33

And one of that is leave your problems at the door. That's very common saying when I was doing theatre, and it's again, it's not done to kind of dehumanize you, it's done on the understanding that everybody is going to be under stress because going on stage is incredibly stressful, and so you have to give the space to everybody's um ability to prepare for the job in hand, and also it's good for you. You you can be mindfully in the moment when you walk into that dressing room, onto the stage, whatever is going on in your life, that door is closed. That has saved my life so many times. Yeah, to just be like, this is not the time, this is the time for tempest, this is the time for the show, and it's a good it's a good um phrase to have.

SPEAKER_00 34:16

Would you say there's been like moments in your life I I know I've felt like this, where putting on your stage persona to take that pause from your real life was a lifeline. Yeah, kind of oh definitely to have that break and just going, right, I'm Isabella now, like yeah, and Isabella can do this right now.

SPEAKER_01 34:35

Totally. You you give yourself the permission to live in a different part of your your brain, to inhabit your life in a very particular corner, and absolutely been a lifeline. It's been vital. The stage for me is the is my quote unquote safe world. I know what I'm doing, I know where I am, and I can exist in a a little sparkly droplet, unaffected by what real life me might be having to deal with.

SPEAKER_00 35:04

I always say that to people I feel most at home on stage, which is like because they always people that are not in the industry, they go, Oh god, how do you do it? Like, do you get really nervous when you go on stage? Yes and no, but the minute I'm on that stage, it's like you feel like you've come home. Yeah. Like you just it's where you know that you're meant to be.

SPEAKER_01 35:20

Totally agree.

SPEAKER_00 35:21

Is there any lessons um from your performing life that someone with a normal nine to five job could use? Like, is there any kind of lessons that you've learned that somebody could use in their nine to five performance? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 35:35

Um, what a lovely question. Um, I think that feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Yeah, you said people say, Oh, you must feel really nervous. And I I think sometimes they can be surprised that every time we go on stage, we're nervous. Yeah, and if you're not, there's I feel for myself there's a problem. I don't care enough. Yeah, and also you need the adrenaline to control the room, yeah, because you're in a heightened state of being. So we get very used to that feeling and not worrying that that feeling means something wrong is taking place. That I think could be a great lesson for people in the real world. Just because you feel nerves, just because you feel anxiety isn't an indication that there's a problem. Yeah, it's an indication that you are stepping up, that you need more energy, that you have to hold the space, or that you're challenging yourself. That's a wonderful thing to do in life. You know, what's that great expression? A comfort zone is a great place, but nothing ever grows there. No, yeah, yeah. Um, I would say, and I don't know if you have a resonance for this. So my husband is a chef, uh, which is a very structured environment. He found COVID very difficult, as did most people, yeah. But one of the things he really struggled with was not knowing what the future would be. Whereas we're freelancers, we don't know one week and the next sometime, but tomorrow is gonna be. And so I think that the sort of the freelance, the embrace of the unknown, of instability is also a good thing for people to get used to, but nothing is constant in life, yeah. And getting a bit comfortable with the unfamiliar um can do you wonders in a time where you have no choice over that.

SPEAKER_00 37:26

Yeah, like you say, feel the fear and do it anyway, and just I always say to people like trust the process. Like, even if somebody feels like it's not entirely going how you wanted it to or expect it to, it's just trust the journey and trust the process because there's something that you're gonna learn along the way um in that process, you know.

SPEAKER_01 37:44

Absolutely. So I think the embrace of imperfection, which might seem ironic given how much time we place into our aesthetic, but there's times where stuff goes wrong on stage, and this is another thing people say they're like, Does something ever go wrong? Of course, there are so many factors, even if you're so rehearsed, something will always surprise you every so often, and those can be the best moments where you make an amazing connection with the audience, where you come up with a joke or a movie that you're like why I never thought of this before. And you you any performer needs to get comfortable with um the reality of imperfection, especially in Cabra, I think, because the whole point is every time it's

Nerves As Fuel And Safe Worlds

SPEAKER_01 38:30

slightly different. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:31

And anything could happen for sure. Yeah, you are stuck in your corset. I've had my martini glass break on stage. I had a dog run out on stage while I was doing a theatre show. That was definitely like a wild moment. Um, and yeah, like you said, we just learned to roll with it. And I don't know if you maybe do the same or you have your own process, but before I go on stage, I know I'm feeling the nerves and the adrenaline and and all of that. And I just kind of tell myself I'm excited now. I just go, We're not nervous, we're excited. This is cool, and I think you that repetitiveness of retraining your brain, of like your body reads those signals that adrenaline is like fear and danger, but you can have the ability to go, no, it's not danger, it's excitement. Let's roll with it.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

Yeah, you're so right.

SPEAKER_00 39:16

That's kind of been a good, I think, tool for me over the years. So when so it's fascinating. So you've been in the industry 20 years, which is a hell of a long time. Next year 20 years. I don't even believe it myself. Do you have like any diff any defining moments over the years that kind of really strike you where you've done something and gone, wow, I'm really kind of proud of that?

SPEAKER_01 39:41

Definitely. The two that probably jump out the most are when we did the burlesque masquerade ball at the Duke of York's Theatre. Which was an amazing opportunity. Uh, so Duke of York's Theatre, for anyone who's not super familiar with London, um, is on St. Martin's Lane. So it's a capital W, Capital E West End Theatre. And uh, I was invited to put on an event that would take place on the external, sort of non-theatre part of the venue, and they have all these beautiful bars and little kind of nooks and crannies, and they're one of the few theatres that has a balcony onto the stream.

SPEAKER_00 40:22

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 40:23

And so we did an immersive um live music and DJing and pop-up performances and all these kind of interactive features going on. And it was a basic anyway, but obviously I I come from theatre, I train to do musical theatre. When I left theatre, you it is a weird period where even though I knew I was making the best choice for me, you've held a fantasy for yourself since you since childhood, you know, one day I might be Eponine and Lay Miz, you know, and that doesn't mean that I'm somebody and I made it, yeah. And for a while, even with some of the amazing stuff I had done even earlier in my career, you still carry this baggage of what you were supposed to quote unquote do. And you have to sort of reformat yourself from this vision that you've created to really see your life as it is, and that could be quite a painful process, actually. But but then I guess having healed that part of my time, I did so enjoy at the end of the night standing on the balcony, overlooking London's West End with a cigarette in my hand, fully tempest rose, and having a fag at the end. I'm doing it in the morning, yeah, yeah, lighting out everything here. I am in this gorgeous space, and it's been a wonderful night. Um, and that was delicious. Well, you know, can I when I die, can I please have that moment back?

SPEAKER_00 41:50

Just cute that.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

Yeah. And uh the other thing I I just we had this beautiful few years where we were part of the programme at the Spiegel Tent on South Bank, where I feel that I've created some of my best work in terms of productions. And a Spiegel tent is an incredible space, it just feels electric, it feels magical. And so watching as the host, you get the benefit of watching sections of the show that you're not in. You can you're already sort of part of the crowd, so it's not weird to kind of stand and show the other acts, and watching performances in that space and knowing that I was part of that artistic offering, and obviously being proud of the work that we had done there. Um, I think, yeah, just that smoke-filled, beautiful tent, and just feeling like, yes, this is magical.

SPEAKER_00 42:44

Definitely a certain atmosphere in those spaces for sure. And so if you was to fast forward 20 years' time, if what what would you want or hope

Defining Moments And Lasting Impact

SPEAKER_00 42:55

that people in 20 years' time would say that you and House of Burlesque kind of gave the industry or the community or the mark that you left? What's the hope that the mark that you will leave behind?

SPEAKER_01 43:09

Um, I I hope, and I do actually believe, if you'll forgive me a little arrogance, um, that burlesque, especially in the UK, but burlesque as an art form is different because of the work that I did and then did through House of Burlesque and the artists that also worked with me. And I'm super proud of that. And that's also, I think, the one of the things that's quite magical about burlesque itself is that as an individual, you can actually have an impact on our art form in a way that is almost impossible if you think of you know, like ballet, opera, that one artist can actually make a mark that makes the whole industry different for everybody in it. And I can think of loads of artists who have also done that as well. Um, it's it's quite wonderful. And I'm I'm really proud of the work with House of Bellas with that. You know, when we created 2.0 and brought In totally remixed music, made everything modern, but while still honoring the original roots of Burlesque, fused it with tech on the screens, with projections. That wasn't new, but we did it in a way that hadn't been done in our pocket before, where not only were the projections kind of a changing backdrop, but that they interacted with the artist. And in every single act, they interacted differently. We would use classical tropes, but we would make them entirely modern. And then seeing how that filtered out and inspired other people to say, Oh, actually, yeah, let's remix sing, sing, sing, let's let's do this sort of thing. Um, I'm really, really proud of stuff like that. And and I my what I would love, of course, is for that still to be the thing that is remembered when people think of me and House of Furlesque.

SPEAKER_00 44:48

And would you say, I mean, there they're incredible like marks that you've left on the industry and inspirations that I should imagine so many people have taken from shows that you've produced or people that have worked from you, um people that you've trained over the years, like that you don't always see the ripples, do you? Those the filters out that um for many years to come of the lives that you will have touched with the work that you've done. So it's definitely something to be proud of. Would you say that the industry's changed a lot in the time? So what would you say the main differences between burlesque now and burlesque when you started?

SPEAKER_01 45:24

When we started, I think there was this feeling still of being um doing something that was rebellious. It was it was kind of punk and it was, you know, we we were underground.

SPEAKER_00 45:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

And it was so fun. Like I said, you know, with the first show, one act was great and one act of mine was terrible. And I think that would be a much bigger deal now because everything is so much more polished, and I mean, we didn't, or did we have camera phones? I can't even remember, like nothing's even recorded, like it lived in that moment. So I for me, burlesque should always have that spirit of um sticking a finger up and saying, like, you know, fuck you, let's like this is rebellious. This is punk. Burlesque to me is punk. And my worry with the industry at the moment is a lot of that feels to me like it's been lost. And artists seem to be very, very concerned about never making waves, never ruffling any feathers, always being correct, tick, tick, tick, as human beings. We like to feel that we're correct. I do understand the impulse, but bellesque was always, I felt, the home of the people that didn't fit in. Yes, the people that saw the world differently. You know, you were it was kind of like an industry of individuals, which is why a producer friend of mine called it herding cats, running a ballot herding cats, because we're all the cat, you know, all the ballet's performers. And it it seems a bit more fearful to me now. People worry a lot, people think everything has to be incredibly polished before they put it out there, that it has to fit into a defined category. They they care very much about um you know the perception of, you know, have they done something wrong? I don't think that's just a burlesque problem. I think that's just the culture that we're in and the culture that the arts is in. But it it is a I think it is a problem because it stifles innovation.

SPEAKER_00 47:28

What do you think burlesque needs to do to survive now?

SPEAKER_01 47:31

Hmm. I when I get a bit down about the state of the industry, I think no, burlesque will survive because we've been around a long time. Yeah, a long, long time through all kinds of different waves. And if it is true, some people might disagree with me. Um, which case, great. Let me know. Tell us in the comments. Yeah, please do, please do. If if if uh if I am right and we are in a bit of a stagnant period, as a whole, there are some artists that will do great stuff, this obviously doesn't apply to every individual, but we're in a little bit of a stagnant, stuck period. Um, and social media also rewards replication, you know, there's lots of things going on in the culture, um, it will become that will become unsustainable and something will break through. And I think burlesque is the spirit of rebellion. At some point, somebody's gonna say, Well, I've had enough of paddle skirts and whatever, whatever the fad is this month. We always go through cycles. I'm gonna do something totally innovative, and hopefully the culture will be at a stage where that gets rewarded. Um, but you know, I was really putting mine for this, I mean Dominus von Viso, who I adore, great performer and producer doing work in Birmingham, went to see the Lee Barry exhibition. And um the whole half of the whole

Rebellion, Stagnation And Innovation

SPEAKER_01 48:50

thing is footage of them getting dressed up and whatever they find in their kitchen, taking a bucket load of drugs and alcohol and going to an underground nightclub. And then all of this work got created from this kind of kooky combination of like not caring, messy lifestyle, um, you know, stuff that was very authentic but very unpolished. And I'm not saying they should all go out and replicate that lifestyle. Um, but do you know what I mean? It's just that period of like from you need some chaos for for ideas to get churned up again. I think I would probably wish for more rebellion and more innovation in burlesque and for people to have the courage. But I know it's difficult, especially when you're starting, because you I suppose I say if you're starting, yes, you're worried because you want to progress, but also you have nothing to lose. Yeah. I want to see what you want to create.

SPEAKER_00 49:49

But what would you say it is that you're looking for in new and up-and-coming artists? Is that the thing?

SPEAKER_01 49:56

Um, the thing I look for all the time is to see who someone really is. And until I see who they really are, I can't conceptualize them within my own work. And that can sometimes be as easy as like a little flicker when I watch them, and suddenly I think that's who you are. And it's it's when your authenticity comes out in your performance, and sometimes that can take a while to get to, and and some people have it very instantly, and and there's no judgment on either, you know. I think it's just who you are. Um, so what I look for in an artist, I can teach you how to style your hair, or somebody wonderful in my team can, or or you know, you can hire someone to make a costume. Um, what I want to know is who you are, and then when I see that, um I can much more easily think when I need this, that's the person I'm gonna go to. And if it's rough and ready, doesn't bother me. That the space for finesse is not a problem. You're the most finesse performer in the world, and I still can't see who you are. I I don't I don't know where to put you.

SPEAKER_00 51:07

Yeah. So about stepping into your own authenticity, even if it's imperfect, just be yourself.

SPEAKER_01 51:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. And again, you think of an artist like Lolo Brow, remember when Lolo started, was um we were still, I think, in a in a space where you could have lots of like, oh, what's this, what's this, what's this? Um, but very different to what was being going on around Lolo. Um but yeah, Lolo is Lolo, it might take you longer to find your home, your space within the industry. But if you dig deep and do that and be brave, you can come to dominate an entire section of the art form that is kind of defined by you. I said to somebody a few years ago, they were doing lip syncing in an act um which became very popular, but wasn't a thing when I started. I said, Oh, do you know? I was being sassy, unusual. I was like, Do you know who's one of the first artists to originate using lip syncing in a burlesque act? I said, Oh no, because with them it just sort of had always been done. And I said, Lolo, and they know Lolo very well, and they just I just couldn't believe it. I was like, Yes, because of one person, a whole industry can change. Yeah, and but to do that you go through a period, I guess, of um feeling like you're the odd one out, and whatever will you ever really get anywhere? And and you know, you have to that takes resilience, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 52:28

It does, and you need a lot of resilience, I think, in this industry, for sure. Like so many times, like you probably had the same, you've had knockbacks and no's and you know, all excuses of why your work isn't suitable, but you just have to believe in your work and your art and keep crafting it and persevering and knowing your destiny with what it is you want to achieve out of it as well. Yeah, for sure. And so, what would you say it takes to go from being a performer to a producer? Because you wear both hats and have done marvelously, sometimes at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 53:02

Um producing,

Authenticity Over Perfect Polish

SPEAKER_01 53:05

I think everything we do is a lifestyle choice, and producing is two. Um, and it's a pirate ship to be a producer. You you have to have, I think, a certain uh temperament, and it's a temperament that revels in high stakes. Yeah, it's it's uh how can you predict if a show is going to sell? You can't. You could I literally might as well do this every time I start a residency, it's this little hyper extension of feeling of fear of doing it anyway. You can go, oh well, a Friday is better than a Monday, and you know, this time might be better than this time, and then and this has happened to me, you know, TFL will plan a load of tube strikes, and every one of them will hit every single night of the run that I've booked in. You cannot predict what is going to happen. So you have to be somebody who's really enjoys perversely reacting, uh problem solving on the fly. That's the first thing I say.

SPEAKER_00 54:07

But you're super power now, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 54:09

Basically, yeah, they kind of get a bit of a kick out of it. And in a way, flesh performers are quite naturally sort of amenable to that because of what you talked about earlier. You know, you get cut stuck in your corset, the stage could be raked, and you didn't know it was going to be, your shoe could break. So sort of like a hyper version of that. You have to um when you create shows, it's like creating an act. As you have a vision for your act, you must have a vision for the show. So you need a really strong creative intention. You need to choose the best people who aren't just your friends. That's just it will upset some people. But that is the best way to work. You must choose in the best interests of the show. You must really enjoy being the person who builds a whole new venue out of a cardboard box because the venue you booked is flooded. So you know, that kind of plucky mentality. It is a bit of a pirate ship. Um, but it's the best thing I ever did, even though it's probably caused me some of the biggest stress levels. I think for the first year I had the company, every morning I would wake up and feel sick. Oh, God. Because you're worried about everything. And it's not just you, you are responsible for other people. Yeah. And their money and their reputation and your reputation and their safety in terms of all of a sudden you've now got to tea with all of the stuff that, you know, the big pants stuff. Um, and you uh I'd say start small and scale up because actually, and I started putting on shows in a 50-seater venue in the upstairs of a music venue in Oxford where I grew up because I didn't want to start in London, because you will make mistakes, and I didn't want my mistakes to sort of be spilling around in the part of the industry I was also being a soloist in. And the principles of putting on that show to 50 people are very similar to the principles of shows I've put on to a thousand people. So you start small and scale up, but

Becoming A Producer The Pirate Ship

SPEAKER_01 56:10

there is no if you want a more stable nine to five, producing is not for you at all. And I would even say people um people get very reliant on things like funding for producing. I love that we have arts council funding, I think it's it's great, and it says something about our culture as well that we believe that the arts are important. But I will tell you this having funding is like having another boss. You can figure out how to get to commercial independence, you can do whatever you want, and that is a wonderful place to live.

SPEAKER_00 56:40

That's a good, like free, happy space to live as a creative, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 56:43

Yeah, I can wake up tomorrow and put a show on, and it can be full of whatever I want. Yeah, I have to sell it.

SPEAKER_00 56:50

Do you know what I mean? Whatever idea you've had in the middle of the night, which it always happens in the middle of the night, always go through phases with having to have a notepad next to my bed because I wake up at one o'clock and I've go, I've got an idea for an action.

SPEAKER_01 57:02

Oh, it's the best time, isn't it? Or like three o'clock in the morning coming home from the club. That's when I'm like, This is what's gonna be the best thing that's ever happened.

SPEAKER_00 57:12

I have no idea what inspiration has to hit at that time of the morning, but I'm always grateful when it does. What would you say is the biggest involvement in putting on like a large-scale show that people don't really take into consideration? Because I think being a performer and a producer, like sometimes I struggle with performers come into a show and are so stressing about kind of little details that you're kind of like you say, trying to sail an entire ship. So, what would you say is kind of the big differences on those large-scale productions?

SPEAKER_01 57:43

It's the realization that the performers and the performing element is actually the minority of the time and the money. And I think a lot of performers who have never spent time on the other side of the table, and I actually really recommend, even if it's just as a collective, putting on a small-scale show. Um, it's great for creative outlet, and you'll learn a lot, won't you, about what it takes to sit on the other side. Um performers, I think, don't tend to realise that even just the budget for performers, especially on a large-scale show, not even half, there's so much more going on. Um, that's the main difference.

SPEAKER_00 58:22

So cool. You have I feel like you've dispelled so much knowledge and wisdom and advice today for people at home. And you it's just it's honestly been a pleasure to sit and chat with you. And so, is there any kind of like words of wisdom or advice or any thoughts that you kind of want to share with our audiences? Anything we've not, what do you think I've missed? What have I missed? Baby, this has been wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 58:45

Thank you so much. I've so enjoyed it, and it's been so nice to talk about some of the more unusual parts of what we do and the process. So, thank you for creating this wonderful space where we can share that knowledge and and you know, like together as well, I think, um, really get into the nitty-gritty of what it takes to do what we do. I I can say the thing that I've sort of been on my mind personally recently, um, which is to remind myself that what we do is a type of magic. When you step out on stage and you're in a room with other people, you are all being transported together, but at the hands of the artist, to a different state of consciousness almost. You know, that's why you go to be entertained, isn't it? You know, you can if music was just about what you listen to, no one would ever go and see live music, you just listen to the album because it's a much cleaner balanced sound, but you go because you want to hear the artist and you want to experience the environment where everybody is having that moment together, and so live performance for me is a type of magic. And I I guess like what I was talking about of the sort of the fearfulness. Um, I suppose I would like to remind myself and maybe sort of throw out into the industry again this recognition that we are in service of something bigger, and and that does that can mean different things to different people, but art for me is kind of the conversation about what it means to be human, really, what is in our nature, and so it's just a reminder like when you put something into the world, we are accessing a communal energy between us, and that in and of itself I think deserves respect of process. Like, I couldn't have spent 20 years being so passionate about something if I didn't think there was something in burlesque itself that I wanted to honour as an art form, what it could do, what it has done. That's a much bigger purpose than what I personally want to get out of it as an individual. Um, and so I think it's nice to remember that we are actually tapping into something big, yeah. And our vehicle for that is burlesque and like I mean, burlesque, incredible. The stories, the ones we've had here

The Magic Of Live Performance

SPEAKER_01 1:01:05

across our history. Um it's an art form that I've been very happy to serve.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:09

Yeah. And we are in service of it, aren't we? Uh like always think of ourselves as like custodians of the art form that we kind of like have been graciously inherited it, parts of it, and we nurture it, and then we can hand it over and support like new and performers. And whenever I step on stage, I always just try and have a moment of gratefulness of like thanking everybody who stepped on a stage before me that made it possible. Because you know, for so many years it wasn't possible, and people were arrested and thrown into jail for it, and that's like um I'm so grateful for the rebelliousness of everybody that came before me that made it possible that I can step out on stage and do what I love and connect with a room full of people for sure. Yeah, I love that. So if everybody listening at home wants to find you across all of the plethora of social media uh platforms that we have now, where would they find you personally and House of Burlesque and everything that you do?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:07

So I think on all the social media platforms I am at H O B for House of Burlesque with Tempest Rose, so H O B Tempest Rose, and there you can find what I'm doing and the company's doing because we're all tiny little niche companies, really. What I'm doing is what the company's doing. Um, and then Hasselburlesque is at house of burlesque.co.uk. Um, I started a podcast a few months back with my old business partner Christina Rhodes called The Sirens. So if you if you love to hear my sassy opinions, you can have literally thousands of them available on the internet for your listening delight. Um, but yeah, come and find me. Tell me tell me what you think. Come and see.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:44

And have you got any shows coming up that people can come and see? Where are you producing at the moment?

SPEAKER_01 1:02:49

We are every Saturday in Covent Garden of Speakeasy, and we are looking to launch um a new show

Where To Find Shows And Farewell

SPEAKER_01 1:02:55

actually in the summer as well. So stay tuned for that. Every Saturday, definitely, and then I'm very proud and honoured to have a residency at Pineapple Dance Studios. So you can come and dance with us, any level, all welcome on Thursdays and Sundays as well. You can find all of that on the website.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:10

Brilliant. Oh, well, thank you so much for coming and joining us today.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:13

It's just been so nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:15

It's been a pleasure to sit and like just hear from you and your story and your truth. And and yeah, I hope that the listeners at home today got lots from that. So thank you so much for turning out and looking like an absolute Greek goddess today. For those of you that are listening, go and watch on YouTube because you look divine today. I love this outfit.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:33

Well, I knew what I was gonna be sitting on, so I made an effort.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:37

Thank you, but honestly, it's been a pleasure and I really appreciate it. And um, I look forward to seeing what the next 20 years of your career holds. Let's see what happens.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:47

Thank you very much. It's been a pleasure to be here.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:50

Thank you for tuning in and listening and watching the Pun and Burlesque, the Burlesque podcast. I've been talking to the wonderful tempest rows today, and I really hope you've enjoyed the clever of information and stories that we've shared. If you enjoyed the show, please give us a like, a follow, a subscribe, share us across to all of your friends and family. The more you spread the word, the more people can find the show and hear about us. I love hearing your comments in the comment section, messages on Instagram, send us a DM. Tell us what you loved about the show, tell us who you'd like to have on next time, and I look forward to seeing you on the next episode of Behind the Left. We've proudly been sponsored by Crystal Parade. I'll see you next time.