Hot Sauce Burlesque

According to the Oxford dictionary, burlesque is “A variety show, typically including striptease.” However, as I discovered watching Hot Sauce Burlesque, it is so much more!

Yes, the girls do take their clothes off and show us what they can do with their tassels, but it is obvious that there is a real sisterhood between them. When not performing they are sitting at the side of the audience in robes encouraging each other.

The Rhino Room is the perfect venue for burlesque; small, intimate and has the ability to take you back to the speak-easies of the 1920s. Alcohol is available during the show and the audience have no problems getting up at any time and refreshing their glasses.

Red velvet curtains provide a plush background for what is to come. Our evening is hosted by Memphis May. Dressed in a red sequin jumpsuit, she holds nothing back and no subject is off limits as she gets to know and encourage her audience. He language is colourful but that’s all part of the burlesque experience.

Hot Sauce Burlesque stars Miss Hollywood Starlet Lyra la Belle, International Male Revue performer Chris Asimos and direct from Hollywood, the soulful, sexy burlesque star Simone Del Mar and Boo Dwyer, among others.

The girls use the audience to advantage to help them remove pieces of their costume, taunt and recline upon.

My favourite acts of the night were a lion who slept on a member of the audience sitting on stage and who certainly knew how to use her tail and a fire eating striptease act that had the audience gasping.

Simone Del Mar, as well as being a classy performer, showed her offstage persona during the curtain calls when she broke into tears while thanking Adelaide audiences for their response.

Boo Dwyer’s short stand-up was devoted to a topic normally avoided by many comedians, namely masturbation. It was a break from striptease and it was obvious by their enjoyment, the audience identified with this topic and were doubled over with laughter.

Chris Asimos (from Thunder Down Under) got the atmosphere hot so he could cool it off as a sexy fireman. He used some of the audience, including this reviewer, to remove his clothes. His act was the last for the night and his professionalism and talent had the audience cheering and calling for more.

Although at times, the acts had a certain degree of sameness, this did not stop me enjoying myself and appreciating burlesque for the art form it is.

Hot Sauce Burlesque is a night I will not forget for a long time, but for those not easily offended by this type of burlesque, the season is now ended unfortunately.

Barry Hill

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