Boylesque Presented by BRITish HEart

Billed as a history of male burlesque, this show didn’t know if it was a lecture or a performance – and as packed to the rafters with interesting snippets of information of relevant experience from BRITish HEart, himself doing a PHd on the topic and performing as stripper, it just didn’t deliver in a format that was cohesive or educational. It teased in all the wrong ways. I was itching to learn more about the history of burlesque, but the information was mumbled and packed full of distractions as HEart got members of the audience to read out the information whilst he simultaneously cajoled others to take to the stage with strategically placed balloons to demonstrate the information we couldn’t hear. I still want to read the dissertation – this was frustrating in all the wrong ways. With a demonstrations of HEart’s own stripping skills taking up the last section of the show, along with more audience participation that should educate but just couldn’t be made out, his declaration at the beginning that he put this show together in just three days showed. It’s a shame. I would so much have liked to have seen the show he wanted to deliver. Maybe with a bit more preparation I’ll get to see it next year.

Hendrick’s Library Of Delightfully Peculiar Writings, 24 May 2012

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