Review: Burlesque, The Leopard Hotel, Burslem (VIDEO)

Stoke-on-Trent Burlesque The Leopard Hotel, Burslem

WELL, there are not many occasions when I am rendered speechless, but Saturday night was one of them, as I was presented with 'a bevvy of Burlesque beauties' in Burslem.

The story behind Stoke-on-Trent Burlesque lies with its organiser, Scarlett Fever.

Scarlett was apparently taught burlesque by none other than Dita Von Tesse.

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See some of the highlights of Burslem's first Burlesque night at the Leopard Hotel

The show is marketed as 'tease without the sleaze', and while these girls are no doubt talented and well taught, the fact remains that at the end of the act, they wiggle their … erm … assets.

I was apprehensive, to say the least, about what the evening would entail and was more than surprised to see a healthy number of women in the audience.

Seven scantily-clad ladies were on stage in curious outfits – curious as one outfit involved a horse's head and another a parody of The Sound of Music.

To bring a feeling of variety to the evening, Stoke-on-Trent Burlesque also featured a magic act – Advocates of Deception. It was two cheeky chaps who, to my relief, took a little of the strangeness of the evening away.

The evening was essentially a great night of entertainment, particularly if you'd partaken of a few alcoholic beverages beforehand.

While the girls retained the tongue-in-cheek attitude, it was easy to play along – but one or two of the dancers gave a more serious performance, which left me feeling slightly uncomfortable and unsure of where to look. Stoke-on-Trent Burlesque is fantastic if you have absolutely no inhibition.

Vicki Power