An Insider’s Guide to Sydney’s Burlesque Scene
Burlesque has been reborn in Sydney. Here is our insider's guide to this sexy form of cabaret.
With the renaissance of all things vintage in today’s popular culture comes a plethora of resurrected forms of alternative entertainment. Recently, Sydney has seen a growth in destination venues and specialist evenings inspired by old school cabaret, vaudeville and burlesque theatres.
With some venues focusing on the raw, dimly lit and smoke-filled early burlesque venues which produced cheap comedic entertainment for the working class, and others tending toward a more glamorous, high class establishment, there is a selection of venues and performers both for those new to the scene or ready to delve a little deeper.
Here is our insider's guide to the best Sydney has to offer when it comes to true burlesque...
Every month, cabaret evenings such as 34B, A Velvet Affair and The Ruby Revue take over Q Bar, The Supper Club and The Arthouse respectively, with each providing a different “theme” each month, allowing regular burlesque audiences to see new performances at each visit. My personal favorite for atmosphere and frivolity is 34B (their 5th birthday is coming up soon - keep an eye out for it).
If you like to mix your striptease with some personal artwork – Dr Sketchy’s Anti Art School is the place to do so. An arm of a worldwide life-drawing club with nights taking place in almost every main city in the world, Sydney’s reaches out to the public at The Arthouse every second Tuesday. Bring a pen and paper and be ready to capture some wonderfully-attired models and a burlesque performance. Leave your inner critic at home.
Gallery Burlesque at Tone also provides an artspace that exhibits up and coming Australian designers and combines their launches with an array of burlesque beauties. The Peel is another monthly burlesque showcase featuring new and debut performers, and is well worth the laughs with MC Lauren La Rouge.
A multitude of live music venues around town also put on burlesque revues from time to time. Check out The Vanguard in Newtown for some amazingly put together shows and The Factory Theatre, The Red Rattler (both in Marrickville) and events companies Black Cherry and Gurlesque for privately run events.
With so many fabulous cabaret events in Sydney, there are no excuses for missing out. Get out your best red lipstick, pull those corset strings and straighten your seams - Sydney burlesque has never been better.
Dr Sketchy's Anti Art School
