Recently a friend asked me of performers I admire.
This was after I had ranted at her in a bar after another un-inspiring Bore-lesque show in Melbourne, Australia.
Oh how boring I find these little show ponies. Not only are these shows based on gimmicks but mimicked gimmicks. Pure derivation. Oh, you are naked beneath your clothes? Who woulda known… 
Now I could be considered an ex-carny (4 years in a circus, and a dozen more in theatre and other performance), so I may be a little over the tricks of the trade, but I do know when I see something that comes out of a person’s own genius. Even if it isn’t the most impressive accomplishment I have ever seen, it is always proferred with a dollop of soul, a twinkle of mischief and spiced with the piquant confidence of a performer who has dived for a pearl and managed to fetch one.
And I love it. I’m the one, at this point, hooting and yawping and waving madly in encouragement. How rare, how lovely, how vulnerable, how real.
As for burlesque, I know a few National champions of this art. Have worked with many others – in my job as stylist – and some of them are excellent at what they do. A few of them truly bring something new and delicious to the table. But I’d have to say that this is rare and these artists would be good artists in any dance/theatre / performance/ cabaret setting. ‘Burlesque’ just seems to be an umbrella term these days that includes copy-cat, look-at-me, cutesy stripping. Tre Boring!
Bring back the cabaret! Bring back the vaudeville! Yes! But may it straddle the divine and the ridiculous, may it make a mockery of mainstream homogenised representations of female sexuality. And for that matter, may it stop telling us what men (or women) desire! The mainstream can’t speak for men’s (or women’s) desire! Desire is vast and strange and wonderful and unique to the one who is having the desire. For that, queer cabaret is delectable.
Ah there are so many fantastic talented performers. I’m so excited to learn of so many more.
So in answer to your question Charlotte, here are just a wee few of my favorites.
The hilarious comic genius of Ursula Martinez:
The incredible Moira Finucane and her bevvy of compatriot performers including Maude Davey, who bring new meaning to the word Provocative:
Amanda Palmer is a good to explore – darling that she is. Not only is she helping to revolutionalise (is that a word?) the music industry (See Below) …
…but just days ago, in London, Amanda also has a fabulous response for the Paparazzi’s (and the people’s) obsession with perpetuating the evaluation of women with youth, sex and beauty.
Oh there is the recent incident between Erykah Badu and Flaming Lips that you may know about, and why Amanda Palmer stepped in, I do not know. But it is all an interesting situation. What I find most interesting is that – via the internet- we can all be a part of, or privy to these important conversations and that voices can be heard that speak out of the bounds of the confines of the media. Really, they had the run of it for too too long!
Oh so many fabulous performers and thinkers and dreamers and geniuses… I leave my compendium there for now.
I hope this answers to your enquiry Charlotte, and you have a nice time trawling through these many links.
My love,
Fun Woman Sex Mother.
Fun Woman Sex Mother 