» The Adonis Cabaret
Andrew Kay talks to Tristan Tristar of The Adonis Cabaret and gets an offer he can’t refuse – or can he?
I’m talking to the self proclaimed ‘Professional Idiot‘ of the UK male entertainment scene – Tristan Tristar. Tristan runs The Adonis Cabaret, which has five club shows across the country, a stripper school, and a national guide for hiring stripograms.
Tristan, are those socks in your Speedos?
No, it was cold, someone left a window open and I couldn’t find my rubber chicken!
How long have you been in Brighton?
Long enough to be a blot on Brighton’s history books! Although not born here I did my school and college years here. Then I started working in clubland, in the days when ravin’ was ravin’. I was properly into clubbing, going out till the early hours until the only jobs left for me were running bars and clubs
How did you get into stripping?
I always wanted to be in entertainment. Apart from some nondescript TV, where my bits ended up on the cutting room floor, my “I’m going to be famous“ moments equalled my acting skills – nonexistent. I
still bought The Stage every week and, while I was battling Brighton licensing over a pub that I had been running, I answered an advert to go to Vienna and work in a strip club for a month. I stayed a year. When I came back I started The Adonis Cabaret.
What makes Adonis Cabaret so successful?
I didn’t want just another Chippendale rip-off. So I tried sticking it all in one bag, shaking it up and seeing what would happen. The result was The Adonis Cabaret Show. We put on a Girls Night Out where you’ll laugh your heads off, watching hot cheeky chaps performing clichés like officer and fireman strips. But they also send themselves up or invent unexpected twists. It’s all stuck together with drag-queen-comedy-glue that has the whole audience dancing the ‘Time Warp‘ and partying like it’s your last night of freedom.
We’re always changing and coming up with new spins on popular ideas but we keep to a theme of fun and party, it works;
it has sold out now every summer for over 10 years, so it must be right!
Do celebs have their parties with you?
Yes, lots. But we have a rule: “What goes on tour stays on tour.” We’ve stripped lots on TV – EastEnders, Strictly Come Dancing and Graham Norton.
So where can we see you guys?
Brighton, London, Bournemouth, Blackpool and Newcastle. My favourite is the Babylon Lounge in Hove, right on the beach. We have been known to chuck performers in the sea at the end of the night in the summer. It’s a full on party and really raises the roof, the audience here is the best, always up for a storming night, and you can always spill out on to the prom and watch the sunset if you need a break from the madness. We do get funny looks when dog walkers see drag queen Davina having a cuppa with two gorillas in tutus, a seven-foot chicken and DJ Mark dressed as Ali G.
Can anyone do what you do?
Well no. It’s not for everyone, and we only make it look easy.
We have the world’s first Male Stripper School, and if you’re any good we sponsor your training!
Where do you see The Adonis show in another 10 years?
There are always challenges, people will always want something different so we will keep people smiling for as long as we can, and change when we need too. The support from parties who come back over and over is overwhelming. This year looks like another sell out, so next year we aim to open in Cardiff, Birmingham and Nottingham.
Do you fancy becoming a stripper Andrew? We need hot new blood like you!
My cabaret days ended when I handed back my Alternative Miss Brighton crown.
No! With a fake tan, lights, smoke, mirrors and a blackout we can sort that out. I’ve been getting away with it for years! There’s always a market for ‘bigger’ guys!
Thanks Tristan. I think it’s time for me to zip up! Bye.
Join the Adonis Cabaret party every Saturday
at the Babylon Lounge. Call for a free info pack on 0870 7414092 pre-booking only from www.adoniscabaret.co.uk
