Heretic Tease Hits Derby

Christina Wellor takes a close look at a quickly expanding British regional burlesque scene.

The Midlands’ burlesque scene, like most others, is a celebration of female beauty and its ability to thrill and intoxicate. This is reflected by both an ordinary and eccentric mix of audience: whatever your style, male or female, it’s important to exalt your curves, legs, lips and curls. So no surprise that Derby production company Heresy n Heelz’s More Teeze than Sleeze revue attracts crowds clad in leather or PVC corsets – with matching fetish-scene tattoos, piercings and mohawks – along with more expected burlesque-evening vintage glamour stylings. This eclectic mix gave a new slant on the commercial notion of burlesque – as Jules Evans, the creator and director of Heresy n Heelz, pointed out when we met.

“I’ve been involved in the fetish scene in various capacities ever since the 90s, so the ‘crossover’ nature of Heresy n Heelz was really a merging of my interests. But now we aim to appeal to all audiences and it seems to be working.”

Quite a few performers are trained dancers, evidenced by the complexity of their routines and the apparent ease with which they contort their bodies and bend over in thongs, with legs as straight as canes. Elle Amour, a gorgeous red-head with a lollipop routine that morphs halfway through into a devilishly dirty, urban-esque dance to 50 Cent’s Candy Shop, is a shining example of the creativity and originality that goes into each presentation. Likewise, Venus Noir’s impressive self-designed sets and props include a huge shell chair to seat her mermaid persona. Later on she wields black fans with twinkling lights to complement a darker, more sophisticated performance.

Going to see a burlesque show is a great excuse to watch some fine females strip down to very little, in an infinitely more teasing and tasteful way than anything lap dancing can offer. It plays on the ‘less is more’ element of titillation. Combine that with some incredible choreography, imaginative sets and outrageous costumes and it’s impossible not to be excited by the whole thing. And from the performers’ point of view? Liberty Pink, compère for the evening and protagonist of a little striptease of her own, confesses: “That feeling of every eye in the room being on me – it’s just incredible. And although I don’t really need the ego boost, it’s still amazing.”

British burlesque has a definite female following that is reflected in all areas of the country. It seems men are beginning to catch on (funny that it’s taken them this long), but during its early days it was unusual to see a man in the audience. Pink recalls her days in the London burlesque scene, back when it was just beginning to take off.

“Sometimes the audiences were completely female,” says Pink. “They all got dressed up, it was a very girl-oriented thing. As it began to spread throughout the country, it became a more mixed audience. And with Heresy n Heelz, it appeals to a wider audience still.”

Even if it’s not something that many people would count as an interest, burlesque has become a household word, thanks to Cher and Christina Aguilera’s eponymous film and celebrity performer Dita Von Teese.

It’s surprising to most people that striptease, which some equate with burlesque, is merely a facet of the entire genre. Perhaps it’s this sexual confidence and ability to have men on the edge of their seats while slowly and tantalisingly disrobing that empowers, liberates and – where audiences are concerned – inspires women. They can embrace their feminine charms and celebrate their bodies without the compromise of full nudity.

Having watched performance after performance, I felt fired up enough to get on that stage myself, remove every item of clothing down to my lacy knickers and grab a piece of the attention. You only had to look around the room – there wasn’t an inhibition or a hint of jealousy in sight. It was like a striptease sisterhood.

Heresy n Heelz will continue amusing audiences in Derby with follow-up Twisted Cabaret Special confirmed for July 30th and already selling well. Jules Evans is optimistic about the future of local burlesque combined with the fetish elements that are making his nights so popular, and he is already making plans to diversify and increase the current list of events. “Heresy N Heelz is without a doubt one of the biggest-attended burlesque shows in the Midlands, now attracting 300-400 people,” says Evans, “but we are aware, from our online box office, that 50 percent of our guests travel from all areas of the UK, which has prompted our expansion into regional events.” Tickets for 2011 regional events in Brighton on August 5th and Manchester on September 9th are on sale now, at the company’s website.

Heresy n Heelz: Twisted Cabaret Special takes place at the Redemption in Derby on July 30th, and at Concorde 2 in Brighton on August 5th. Performers include Vivid Angel and Frank Sanazi. Visit www.heresynheelz.co.uk for details and tickets.

Photos by Karl Bright