A new breed of performers has transformed burlesque – is it now performance art? By Ben Walters
It's a cold December night but inside the Bethnal Green Working Men's Club in east London, things are hotting up. A capacity crowd – more women than men, some in retro-style fur, houndstooth and animal prints – has turned out for the final of this year's Tournament of Tease, an amateur contest that has become an institution on London's burlesque scene.
"I come for the tassles!" says Arthur, a 25-year-old financial trader and burlesque regular, who has dragged three wary colleagues along. "It's very creative," he hastily adds. "Anyone can join in." When I ask if he's also been to strip clubs, he wrinkles his nose. "Sure, but that has nothing to do with this. There, it's a business thing – the girls do it for the money. Here, no one does it for the money." Does he find it hot?...
It's a cold December night but inside the Bethnal Green Working Men's Club in east London, things are hotting up. A capacity crowd – more women than men, some in retro-style fur, houndstooth and animal prints – has turned out for the final of this year's Tournament of Tease, an amateur contest that has become an institution on London's burlesque scene.
"I come for the tassles!" says Arthur, a 25-year-old financial trader and burlesque regular, who has dragged three wary colleagues along. "It's very creative," he hastily adds. "Anyone can join in." When I ask if he's also been to strip clubs, he wrinkles his nose. "Sure, but that has nothing to do with this. There, it's a business thing – the girls do it for the money. Here, no one does it for the money." Does he find it hot?...
- 12/14/2010
- by Ben Walters
- The Guardian - Film News
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