Booty-full burlesque

An Evening Of Burlesque

Years ago women showcasing their bodies and moving around in underwear would likely conjur up very negative opinions and bring to mind terms such as stripper, tart and easy.

 

Suggest a woman would go to see such things and admire the female form and you would cause insult and embarrassment.

 

When you think of burlesque what comes to mind?

 

According to some family members when I spoke to them recently their impression would be a sleazy strip show and an altogether dirty affair.

 

So, well aware I am very late to this party I should add, I recently experienced burlesque.

I’d never really thought about it until a few years ago when a colleague told me they were going to see Burlesque with some girl friends and there was talk of something called the Hurly Burly show. 

I’ve also obviously heard of the likes of Dita Von Teese, but  that is as far as my knowledge goes. 

 

The work colleague didn’t go into too much detail, but suggested they’d had a really good and fun night, ever since I’ve been meaning to try out a burlesque show but it’s never really come about.

 

Cut to the ever wonderful little local theatre where I live in Hornchurch, the Queens Theatre.

 

Recently I received one of their regular emails as to what’s on or coming up at the venue.

 

And what did I see? An Evening of Burlesque.

 

Reasonably priced and with seats left, I decided to ask my Mum and Auntie if they fancied a visit. Something different, quite last minute, shall we give it a try?

 

They agreed and we bought our tickets.

 

Well, I was not expecting what we experienced, mostly in how varied it was.

 

Yes of course the ladies are in underwear, corsets, stockings and glamour girl makeup (old school glamour I should add here, not Page 3/Essex Girl style!) The women were in all shapes and sizes which I loved, I knew burlesque tends to be relatively curvy girls, but each performer was different.

 

Whether the show we picked was a good introduction maybe I don’t know, but it was great.

 

We had a group of dancers, The Folly Mixtures, a compere Ms Ivy Paige, a showgirl in the traditional champagne glass, a hilarious comic ‘ballerina’ (a big guy dressed up pretending to be a Russian ballerina who helped embarrass many of the male audience members), burlesque stripping and dancing and lots and lots of laughs. Along with very high heels and beautiful costumes.

 

It was a real good way to spend an evening and I’ve since suggested to my other half we go see a show in London together.

 

Have any of you seen burlesque before? What was your experience like?

 

Do you think it’s cheesy and derogatory to women? 

 

Or do you think, as I currently do, it’s great fun and helps celebrate the female form and women’s confidence and beauty in all shapes, sizes and styles?

 

 

Local laughs

Tonight as I hobbled to the station (from sore feet thanks to new shoes), I felt half asleep and it has to be said a bit fed up.

So going to see a comedy at the theatre I knew was going to be hit and miss. It could be just what the doctor ordered and cheer me up (even if temporarily), or it could just make me more angry than I currently feel right now and not make me laugh at all.

Thankfully, due to the genius that is Cut to the chase and the Queens Theatre in Hornchurch, tonight's entertainment choice turned out to be a hit.

Sadly, the last of my 'Jump the Q' offerings, the third and final show of the season is Run For Your Wife.

This production tells the tale of a cabbie who lives a double life - two homes and two wives. After being involved in a random accident his schedule of taxi shifts and moreover wife shifts gets muddled up.

There begins the journey we follow him on as he gets himself deeper and deeper into more and more outrageous lies.

True British farce, the gags were non stop and the laughter was constant.

Each character was loveable and hilarious in their own way and the Queen's made good use of the small space, with a great set as always.

And hats off to the lead character who we were informed at the start of the show had torn tendons in his leg and was still performing, despite being advised to rest up. He simply acted his part but added a further prop - a stick - to help him along. Since the character is meant to have been in an accident this only added to his acting and certainly didn't impact the show in any negative way.

One thing I love about our local theatre is the way when you go to see a show you always find at least one actor/actress you recognise from before. I'm always amazed how totally different a character they're playing each time.

Yet again the acting, timing, costumes and set were a hit.

Each scene was full of giggles and the two hours (including interval) flew by.

I also love how the team are so natural, a couple of small blips were dealt with so seamlessly and just added to the laughs.

Once again another hit for this wonderful local theatre. In fact I'm quite sad to have finished my selection of shows there for now.

Here's to the next batch!

Melican at the theatre: They're Playing Our Song

Another week, another theatre visit.

After my last visit to the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch for a rather more risqué type of viewing this time I was going for something a little calmer.

My second show as part of the Jump the Q offer I’d taken advantage of, I visited the local theatre with my Mum and Auntie for another evening of family female fun. We had a nice meal in a local restaurant and then headed off to take our seats to see the latest theatrical offering.

Again it was a ‘preview’ night, so we were told to be patient and there may be a few hiccups – as per our visit to see A Passionate Woman in a similar situation the show only had but the most minor of ‘mistakes’ which were barely noticeable.

I admit I wasn’t quite sure what They’re Playing Our Song was going to be about or what type of performance it would be and since my visit I’ve realised the show is an old musical with a book and is based on a real life relationship. Not only that, it first premiered in 1978 in LA so it’s not a brand new show as I thought.

The Queen’s Theatre show in 2013 is directed by Matt Devitt and is brought to the audience again by the fabulous ‘cut to the chase’.

On finding the show was a musical I was pleasantly surprised and found I really enjoyed the performance, focussing on two main characters Vernon and Sonia. There was lots of music, catchy tunes (I still keep humming the main theme) and also lots of laughs. A great show all round.

The storyline kept you interested and the actual talent of the performers – in both their instrument playing and singing was very impressive.

I was also a fan of the simple, but fun and clever set. Our theatre never fails to surprise me at how well they do with such a small space.

Yet again I found myself impressed with my the Queen's and its performers and I now look forward to my next visits there – the Coppélia ballet at Easter and then in May the last in the Jump the Q series – Run For Your Wife!

Why I love Hornchurch

Over my life I’ve lived in a grand total of two areas – and both in the same county! Hornchurch where I started life and live now and Colchester where I studied at University and lived for three years (even that was only during term time!)

Don’t get me wrong I love to travel and see new places – whether that’s here or abroad (but if it’s hot I’m bound to prefer it!) However, when it comes to where I live, I guess I am quite fond of where I’m from.

This Friday I spent an afternoon/evening with my Mum and Auntie (we’re trying to do more ‘girlie’ things the three of us) and it really made me think of how I enjoy having Hornchurch right there with all it has to offer.

In particular, the numerous amount of restaurants and our lovely Queen’s Theatre.

Right on my doorstep I can choose from an array of eateries – those from London I know this will seem a given but from a smaller Essex town I think we get a good deal. Chains, non-chains, pubs, bars, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Turkish, American, Mexican, fast food, English, cafes, the list goes on. There’s something for everyone and for a range of budgets.

This is also the case with the theatre – I can remember going to this place as child to see children’s plays and pantomimes. Now I’m older I’ve seen a number of plays, none of which have ever failed to impress me. Yes it’s a local theatre, small in size and with small-scale sets, but the acting is always strong and the prices aren’t horrendous.

If you fancy a bit of culture not too far from home and at a good price, it’s ideal.

Take for instance this year. As we all know I’m trying to enjoy new things and become a bit more cultured. I’ve already enjoyed amazing ballets, fascinating exhibitions and this week I’m set to see my first opera – all in London. I also decided to try local too.

I’ve booked up four shows at the Queen’s Theatre and they even do a great deal (Jump the Q) where you can get all three shows for just £45 (so £15 a ticket to see a play). The three this season are a mix of comedy and drama and are put on by regular production company ‘cut to the chase’.

In addition, I’ve booked something a little less cultured but what is set to be lots of fun(?!) – Puppetry of the Penis. I’ve already seen ‘Busting Out’ and ‘Vagina Monologues’ at this local attraction, so I’m sure this latest offering will be just as entertaining!

On Friday after enjoying the first play – A Passionate Woman – I happened to notice a flyer on our way out. I was shocked, but pleasantly surprised – to see the theatre was showing ballet, in fact the Moscow Ballet in their production of Coppélia. Of course I’ve already roped all my family in – it’s showing on the Easter bank holiday – so me, my boyfriend, my parents and my Auntie are all going to enjoy something a bit different this Easter Monday and go to watch the ballet. I can’t wait, especially how intimate it will be in such a small venue.

Again, the tickets were £25 this time, a great price for ballet!

I know this blog probably sounds like some forced publicity stunt/PR – and I apologise if this is all a little cheesy. But I have really noticed lately how lucky we are to have such good facilities on our doorstep like this and thought it was worth a mention!

And as for our cheap cinema (Premiere in Romford, just £4 a ticket for any film) and the fact they’re opening a local gallery, don’t even get me started!

Melican at the theatre: Shakers by John Godber and Jane Thornton.

Last night I visited the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, my local theatre.

I used to attend this venue as a young child on school outings and for pantomimes, but nowadays find I tend to visit to watch something a little different. Because it’s a local theatre I find I’m a lot more open to just trying out what they’ve got on and recent years have seen me watch Shirley Valentine, Busting Out, the Rocky Horror Show and the Vagina Monologues to name a few.

This time I was here to see Shakers. A play set in a nightclub, where the audience are told how things really are by four young women who work there.

The four waitresses – Adele, Carole, Mel and Nicky are played by Natasha Moore (who was also in the Rocky Horror Show), Lucy Thornston, Laure Pitt-Pulford and Rachel Dawson. In fact the whole show centres around these four and there are no other characters or indeed props onstage, bar the nightclub set/scenery.

At first I was unsure when I realised the lack of other scenes and actors/actresses as it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. However, I was soon pleasantly surprised and having a good giggle.

Although the show is only running for two weeks we had been able to get tickets in the third row, so had a great view. This also meant we could clearly see all the mannerisms of the characters and their faces, which was fantastic.

I was really impressed at the actresses acting out of different visitors to the club, in particular when they became some of the male punters. The stance, expressions and general mannerisms were spot on and I found myself in hysterics (this seems to be a regular occurrence now when I attend this theatre!)

What really wowed us was how quickly the cast switched from being ‘City boys’, ‘posh yuppies’, ‘arrogant cheating bigwigs’, ‘young Essex girls partying’, ‘canoodling couples’ and lots more, and then turned round and became their main character of a nightclub waitress.

There are also some deeper moments in the play when the characters come to the forward of the stage and give us an insight into their own private lives and how they’ve ended up doing this job. I found each of them very moving.

Overall I really enjoyed the show, yet again another production from the theatre which challenged my expectations and left me experiencing a range of emotions and witnessing some great acting skills. I’m now looking forward to see what I can go and watch next!