I’ve had my eye on this little gem for a while. What could be better than an afternoon of burlesque entertainment and a spot of cream tea? So when I got tickets to Afternoon Tease at The Pigalle Club, I was rather excitable. Set in swish surroundings, the show is run by Zoe from the travelling sensation Time For Tease, who hand pick the best burlesque talent around and put them together in one afternoon of saucy treats. Hearing it on good authority that these events are something a little out of the ordinary, I thought I'd pay them a long overdue visit.
The lovely Zoe of Time For Tease
Photo Credits: Daniel Regan
When we are led to the plush basement of the Pigalle and poured a glass of champagne, I know we’ve landed on our feet. The tables are adorned with beautiful afternoon tea paraphernalia, and the waitresses dressed in smart maid outfits and sporting 50s quiffs. Opening the fun this afternoon is a tribute to Judy Garland, from the beautiful Kiki Kaboom, who has the grace of a 60s movie star. She combines a spot of everything in her act, from impersonation, through singing and dancing to having an odd quarrel with her own gloved hand.
Between each act is a short intermission from Gateaux Vivant, that I must admit, I don’t understand until after the show ends. Whilst this act is seemingly just a semi naked lady holding up various Halloween merchandise, the roots of the act stem back to Tableaux Vivants (or ‘living pictures’ to the likes of you and me), where actresses were expressly forbidden from moving whilst semi naked on stage. This adds a little bit of retrospective cheek to the act, and I appreciate it all the more.
There are then two beautiful burlesque interpretations from Vicky Butterfly, who combines the traditional subtlety of burlesque with contemporary ballet. Her wistful performance is reflected by her outfit of aging corsets, lace under garments and floaty chiffon arrangements.
She releases spring butterflies from her clothes with an impish allure that mesmerizes me completely. She flits about the stage like a humming bird, with an innocence and grace that you would not believe fitting with the art of burlesque, yet she manages it perfectly.
Next comes some sultry attitude from the stunning Millie Dollar, who brings burlesque into the 21st century. Sporting a tiny diamonte thong, some big ole’ eyelashes and not a lot else, she scores favourite with my companion, and gives the crowd a bit more of an overtly sexual performance. She almost growls with confidence as she struts around the stage with her feather plumage and pout.
Leaving behind the 50s pin up cheekiness and moving into the contemporary, Afternoon Tease manages to retain the subtlety of traditional burlesque, whilst bringing a touch of modernity to proceedings.
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