Burlesque… hmmm. This should be interesting. Originating in lower class America and Britain in the 19th Century, burlesque was the beginning of “slapstick” comedy theatre for the poorer folk. I had no idea what to expect when I turned up at the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills on Saturday night.

The Sugartime crew have been running this type of performance for about a year and half, and I was interested to see what they had to offer. I was not disappointed! It was like I had stepped back in time and come into the Moulin Rouge. Corsets, fascinators, fishnets and baby doll heels. Feather boas, old time sailor suits and army boys, top hats and tails – and I hadn’t even entered the club yet! Fans of Burlesque certainly take their costumes seriously, and they all looked fantastic, mixing quite well with us simple folk.

The tour itself runs under the Absinth Club name, and I decided to try a Bohemian Cocktail to get into the mood. The absinth certainly puts things in a different perspective, and I guess only seasoned drinkers would be able to down more than one of these! As we were greeted at the door by a full-breasted Madame, I could only wonder what was behind the doors. For an entry price of $40 I was transformed into a new world – my first sighting was a peep show box with a fan seductively winding through its roof. Keyholes let you see a sexy little performer in leopard print lingerie under an old Parisian street lamp.

The cigarette girls in fish nets, corsets and pill-box hats were selling Burlesque paraphernalia, like absinth spoons in original cigarette boxes complete with straps from way back when. Big band music played, while the sell out crowd waited anxiously for the first act. The Belladonnas de Lux where the fist to arrive on stage – and it was obvious why they had been put at the forefront. A blonde, a brunette and a sexy red head swooned on stage to ‘Putting on the Ritz’ in top hats, diamonds, walking canes – and not much else. These girls were awesome with lots of side ways glances and innuendo that didn’t suggest tea and scones! The crowd went berserk and we waited for the next act to arrive.

Coco De Mer came on next as a double act, performing ‘Shimmy Like My Sister Kate’. Sung by Pia Andersen, she truly has one of the most incredible voices I have ever heard and would have quite happily listened to her for the rest of the night. At this stage I had settled right into the crowd, and they seemed just as comfortable, letting their appreciation known for the energy of the Kelly Doll Cougar Jones and the amazing talents of Amelia and her foot juggling. Lisa Tarsia made sure the entire crowd wanted her after swinging a torch in all the right places, and the Morawa Hoola Hoop performer left me gasping for breath. Gypsy Wood and her giant fans kept the boys, and the girls, wolf whistling, not to mention Lena Marlena – and her python! The band was fab and couple of zany magicians kept us laughing between acts with some wonderfully terrible slapstick comedy.

On the down side the Gaelic Club – although a fantastic venue for bands or even stage plays – was not really suitable for this type of performance. It was terribly hot for the sell-out crowd, with a couple of fans vainly attempting to cool us all down. The stage is set quite low, and for those parts of the act that required floor work or any fancy footwork, it could only be enjoyed by those at the stage or in the very front. Although the majority of the show was spectacular there were a couple of slow areas that had the crowd a little restless – albeit not for too long. Cookoo would have been really funny, had it not been so drawn out (although set design was amazing for this performance), and Bone Daddy and La Vivianna left me wondering “what the?” La Vivianna did make up for it though, with a duet Beat Box performance that was really cool.

None of this, however, took away from the overall show and in all the night was truly something to behold! We all had an excellent time and I am certainly burlesque’s newest fan. There is absolutely something for everyone, and I guess that’s the greatest part about it. It lets you explore your exotic, seductive side whilst taking the mickey out of yourself as well – whatever your taste may be. Do yourself a favour get out your favourite feather boa or top hat and check out www.sugartime.com.au for the next performance, it is absolutely worth it.