Alternative Nightlife

The legends
Lili St Cyr
‘There’s a famous picture of her suspended in a birdcage over Ronald Reagan, taking her stocking off. She had such beauty and elegance. I did my reverse striptease and my bubble bath routine as a homage to her, although her reverse striptease was notorious! She also had a bath in the shape of a sleigh with a see-through panel. She’s a huge favourite of mine.’

Basil Patton
‘My mentor and an old burlesque showboy. He worked with everyone from Liberace to Judi Dench. He did the first ever ‘Cabaret’ at The Strand with her and has been on stage since the 1950s. He went to his first burlesque show when he was ten and has seen it through the wilderness years – he’s worked with so many showboys and showgirls. Basil’s knowledge after seeing it the first time around – he has so many tricks of the trade – means I can polish my routines even more.’

Dixie Evans
‘I first met her when I performed at her 80th birthday in Hollywood two years ago. She used to look like Marilyn Monroe and was known as the Marilyn Monroe of burlesque; she even received a cease-and-desist letter from Miss Monroe herself. She stopped the routine out of respect when Marilyn died. Dixie founded the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas and has costumes from [legendary fan dancer] Sally Rand. There’s nothing like the BHF anywhere.’

Satan’s Angel
‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with as much stage presence. They all had their own gimmick then, but hers was fire tassels. She would go on stage with a martini glass, dip her nipple tassels in it, set them alight then twirl them! God, she was beautiful. She came out of retirement and appeared at last year’s Miss Exotic World pageant in Las Vegas. She was a real feisty broad from the West Coast. She gave me some great advice before I went on at the MEW. “Immodesty,” she said, “imagine that you’re just doing this for your lover, no one else. That’s what I always did before I went on stage.” So that’s what I do now.

Zorita
‘Zorita’s the reason I currently have the blonde streak in my hair. She did some of the most sensual and clever acts. She had a costume where on one side she was a bridegroom and on the other a bride. She had a very carefully choreographed routine: it looked like a couple were having sex on stage. It was so steamy hot, she used to get removed from theatres but wasn’t doing anything – it was all in the tease. She used snakes in her routines, too. She didn’t like snakes shitting on stage, so she would plug them up and when they died, she would just go and get another one. Sadly, she’s no longer with us.’

The new stars
Dirty Martini
‘Dirty’s got a place in my heart. She embodies the big blonde bombshell and is really a force of nature. I’ve been friends with her since I saw her perform in New York.’

Kalani KoKonuts
‘Kalani puts on an incredible spectacle, too. We share a love of making these amazing scenes that unfold as you watch. She’s a Vegas girl and it will be her first time performing in Britain – I’ve brought her over to do her beautiful geisha act. I love anything where it looks like a theatrical production. She does a great Jessica Rabbit, too!’

Michelle L’amour
‘I saw her do the most exquisite fan dance; it was the closest thing to Sally Rand. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a performance where you could have heard a pin drop, and she didn’t take anything off. It was so spell-binding, so mesmerising. She was on the judging panel in Vegas when I won the Miss Exotic World crown, so she must have given me good marks!’

Foxy Tann
‘Foxy deserves a big mention because I’ve never seen a bigger afro. She and her troupe have such infectious energy. I love a bit of comedy and speaking the blues; she has great comic timing. She’s also got this incredible figure with an amazing ass – when she moves the room shakes. I love that combination of comedy, blues and sexiness. It’s fantastic.’

Julie Atlas Muz
‘She touches a special place with the female audience, she’s a true artist. She’s also a real-life mermaid, she swims with the fish. There’s something very ethereal and magical about her as a person – she doesn’t go in for Vegas feathers – but really powerful in her art and performance. It’s so moving and such a contrast to the whole Swarovski jewels-and-feathers thing.’

‘What I love about all the legends is that they are all so, so different, the idea that they’ve got such incredible personalities on stage – no one could be like them. For me, what makes a showgirl a star is their uniqueness, the originality of their act: the ability to create and then craft something that is truly distinctive – their own gimmick – which is then supported by an intense emotional and professional commitment to their art and on-stage persona.’

'The Immodest Tease Show' is on at Koko on March 18 & 19.