It’s been a decade since this defiantly cheesy Thai cabaret was last seen in London, although in the interim the Lady Boys of Bangkok have continued to go strong at the Edinburgh Fringe, whether this show was first a hit way back in 1998 at the height of The Beach-era Thaimania. Staged in a pop-up tent, this new incarnation of the show is called Full Moon and has never been seen in London but is basically the same general idea as it’s always been, with nine performers dancing and quick changing to sundry pop hits (there are supposedly over 400 costumes a show).
The phrase ‘lady boy’ is probaby not one you’d habitually throw around in 2026, but in this specific context they’re people who were assigned male at birth and are now somewhat syonymous with trans women or androgynous people, often in line with kathoey, a historic South East Asian concept roughly equivalent to a third gender.
Burlesque shows in London go back centuries, and though areas like Soho aren’t as sinful as they used to be, those in search of sequins and tassels are still spoilt for choice. From a raunchy traditional cabaret show to edgy contemporary burlesque and drag, you’ll find it all here. Here’s our guide to the best of burlesque London, for those times when nothing else will scratch that itch.
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