Shake It

Burlesque, a well-established art form in itself, relies on scandalous humor, high glamour, and elaborate staging, and this year’s 55 minute Shake It Fringe offering provides just that. A variety show, including striptease, this show embraces old fashioned glamour, temptation, raucous and carefully planted entendres, and truly gorgeous bodies. Traditional burlesque integrates striptease with vaudeville, comedy sketches, circus, acrobatics, juggling, and singing, and all of that is included across the nine performance numbers.  According to their social media pages, in COVID times, they have included talent from other shows, particularly in the form of Tro, an outstanding aerialist, acrobat and sensuous stripper, but more of that later.

Hosted by soubrette Minnie Andrews, the show is a potpourri, performed by surprisingly few multi skilled performers (and a very disciplined stage crew team). Andrews looks, and initially sounds like a grown up Shirley Temple, but innocent and child-like are not the words to describe her, particularly when she presents a gob smacked (pun intended) gentleman in the audience with a well warmed ‘vagina lollypop’! Andrews is a confident performer who later also delivered a well-received new song, written by a local performer. As Mistress of Ceremonies (MC), she obviously relishes her role, working the audience ceaselessly and with enthusiasm.

Last night’s show opened with a female stripper described as ‘burlesque royalty’ whose performance was energetic, provocative and included the requisite, and skilled, sparkly, tassel twirling finale.

A change of pace was provided by Tro, a paramedic, a stripper, aerialist and acrobat. Clad, for the briefest time in leather, cracking a whip with playful menace and drama, this lithe, nimble performer had the audience captivated; possibly challenging stereotypes of women as the most popular strippers. Later, the audience meets him again. This time in the guise of an injury defying aerialist who spins, stretches, balances and twirls in mid-air. The skill, body strength and performance by this man, sees him working with either one or two hands and his mid-air splits left the audience gasping and cheering.

Idris, the clown, in a red and black sequined suit described as his ‘glam rock’ look, contributes a rock and roll parody, and he also entertains with skilled juggling. His novel version of a ‘blow job’, aided by MC Andrews is clever and fun and when I attended, garnered enthusiastic audience feedback.

A second leather clad male stripper had fun with ‘Hey Big Spender’, and once again, included unwitting audience members.

For me, gymnast Olivia from New Zealand was one of the highlights. Her performance is sexy, agile and fluid. Her routine is polished and captivating. Entertaining whilst twirling 6 hoops, she then takes multiple silver hoops for an amazing whole body, visually entrancing and perfectly balanced blur of colour and movement.

A later female strip act was by a former Miss Burlesque Adelaide. Clad initially in a glamorous, sumptuous floor length evening gown, her performance is very theatrical, portraying elaborate distress that causes her to remove her clothing. The audience appeared somewhat puzzled by this routine, possibly as it was a departure from the usual burlesque style of strip tease and was accompanied by very loud music and a slightly confronting faux vomiting routine.

Ezra creates the final act, performed centre stage in a bath that actually did hold water. A tall, well-built man, clad in waterproof black and silver waterproof material, he created a Cats parody that undoubtedly pleased his Mum who we were all introduced to, and was front and centre, in the audience.

Highwire Entertainment is a production house specialising in circus and multi-art form performances. Skilled in presenting contemporary physical theatre, it is obvious that COVID has created challenges for them and their performers, and it is to their credit that Shake It is such an entertaining show. If you love exciting physical feats, deliberately terrible jokes and good old fashioned tantalizing performers, this will tease, tempt and thrill you.

Jude Hines

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