After watching ‘Burlesque,’ a
brilliant movie starring Christina Aguilera and the ever-dazzling Cher, my
friend and I had always been dying to see one in person. Well, thanks to
Belgrave Music Hall and Ryvita Von Cheese (get it?) we got our chance to join
the colourful madness of burlesque and cabaret last Friday night.
If you haven’t heard of The
Wet Spot before, I’m about to open your eyes to a new world where stunning
performers deliver risqué sequences beneath a canopy of glitter and spotlights.
This haven of the strange and wonderful was created by Ryvita Von Cheese back
in 2007, and has since become the biggest and baddest burlesque show in West
Yorkshire. Performers come from all over the UK, Europe, and even the USA,
bringing a wave of sensational acts that will send you reeling. The Wet Spot
now has a permanent home at Leeds’ beloved Belgrave Music Hall, so this magnificent
hotbed of absurdity is now right on your doorstep.
My friend and I began our
evening climbing the stairs to one of Belgrave’s third-floor showrooms,
accessed by a secretive side door in between Belgrave and Blind Tyger. The
atmosphere was like an effervescing glass of champagne: everyone was dressed in
flamboyant garments, drinking bright cocktails in the vintage-styled room that
was centred by a large stage. It was like stepping into an illicit underground
club in the Roaring 20s, and I was half expecting a group of prohibition
officers to charge in suddenly. We ordered some cocktails and took our seats to
the side of the stage.
The night erupted with a
performance from the awe-inspiring Missy Malone. She stood like a classical
pin-up, wearing a huge midnight-blue feather boa draped around her shoulders.
Missy Malone’s coy routine was interjected with exoticism, teasing the audience
like a snake charmer. When she did eventually shed the feather boa, throwing it
to the floor as if she had burst from her chrysalis, Missy was wearing her
signature sequinned corset and pair of studded heels. What an opening! The acts
that followed were introduced by host, Des O’Connor (no, not that Des O’Connor), and included the
titillating Scarlett Daggers, the fire-eating and sword-swallowing Snookie
Mono, and even the strange but wonderful Velma Von Bon Bon – so if you’ve ever
had a thing for the nerdy crime-buster, The Wet Spot may have just fulfilled
your best kept secret.
The show begins at 9 p.m., but
doors open at 7 p.m. so that if you want to make a night of it and get a little
messy beforehand, you can! Whether you’re a burlesque fanatic or cabaret virgin
like me, The Wet Spot at Belgrave is guaranteed to entertain you – and at
£14.50 a ticket, you easily get your money’s worth. You can dress big, crazy
and fabulous because everyone goes all-out for this night of carnivalesque
magic. The Wet Spot appears like an ethereal being every third weekend of the month, so get your tickets now if you want to be dazzled by the beautiful and
the bizarre.
Burlesque can be many things;
and as I sat there on Friday night, thoroughly entertained (and slightly tipsy,
I’ll admit), I realised that it was more than just extravagant costumes and
erotic performances. The word ‘burlesque’ actually means to make a mockery of
something. It isn’t about exploiting the female body for the gratification of
men. In fact, it’s rooted in dismantling this stereotype by empowering women to
explore and express their sexuality as they see fit; and the scope of performances
at The Wet Spot was as varied and awesome as the women (and men!) who performed
them. We were captivated by the salacious routines, amused by the extravagant
cabaret acts, and shocked when Snookie swallowed that sword! Belgrave is
hosting the truest form of burlesque: a fun and cheeky celebration of
femininity, where women and men alike can feel good about themselves.
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