As a venue for a glossy, burlesque show in an intimate environment, the Richmond Tea Rooms could almost have been purpose-built. With a small, central performance area, no member of the audience was not at some point be in close contact with one of the performers and correspondingly, no one was out of reach of flamboyant, roving host Titsalina Bumsquash (which it is suspected, may not be her real name). Performers were able to slip on stage from a nearby side-door but in most cases made a more dramatic entrance by swirling down the great spiral staircase which leads from the street level to the basement auditorium, complete with its own bar.
The event was a sell-out with an enthusiastic audience requiring little warming up Miss Bumsquash. It was notable that something in excess of half the audience appeared to be female, demonstrating the wide appeal commanded by Burlesque. The lavish decoration of the Richmond Tea Rooms gave an almost fairy-tale appearance and the atmosphere was exuberant without any of the excesses of say a major football match on TV in a pub; this was just meant to be a fun night where anyone was welcome. The air of sophistication was somewhat marred during the introduction when Miss Bumsquash asked the audience ‘Is everyone ready to see some titties and asses?’ and by and large, the tone was not that of a Working Men’s Club.
Four Burlesque artists each gave two performances. The variety of costumes was complemented by considerable variation of moods in the accompanying music, ranging from a jazz version of ‘Roxanne’ to the Darkness’s ‘Don’t Let The Bells End’. It was clear the routines had all been carefully rehearsed with all movements in perfect timing with each track played and thought had been put into putting together a combination of acts which worked together. This included interesting range of themes including a Bad Santa (all black with white trimmings) and a Goddess of Love (more with the look of an Art Deco-era film star than anything from mythology). The pure white look of Swan Lake Ballerina act was complemented by a dazzling black costume in a slot called ‘Raven’ and other outfits were essentially just pure burlesque; exotic and sophisticated. The evening culminated with Miss Bumsquash singing as her alter ego Fanny Trump whilst dressed as a snowman prior to Cherie Bebe giving a performance in a vibrant red outfit; a fitting finale for a Christmas show.
The evening provided a bit of escapist glamour and a respite from the care of daily life. Miss Bumsquash mentioned the word ‘Brexit’ in passing on two occasions but avoided the temptation to go into any kind of political rant or digs, keeping all the comedy focussed just on everyone just having fun, with the event frequently having the feel of a pantomime as audience member’s names were called out and volunteers brought on for party games with prizes given.
Cherie Bebe’s Burlesque Revue was an evening of variety and style, with slick presentation and performers who clearly take their art form seriously. It was interesting to see burlesque presented in the more intimate surroundings of a tea room basement rather than on the larger stage of a venue such at Matt And Phred’s and whilst this meant there was little in the way of theatrical props, this was amply compensated for by a closer engagement with the audience. A very entertaining night out.
Reviewer - John Waterhouse
on - 19/12/19
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