Lili’s Ladies of the Year 2014

Tags

amanda suter, Aurora Galore, cabaret, coco dubois, Frisky & Mannish, joanna woodward, ladies of the year, laura corcoran, sophie mason, the lilis, Vintage, women

It’s the second Lili’s Ladies of the Year (or the Lili’s as I have affectionately and slightly egotistically named them!) it’s a time when I reflect over the year and give a virtual high-five to women in my circle who are doing amazing, creative or just good old stirling work!

This year has a definite performing lean – this has been my busiest performing year yet and so it only follows that the women I come into contact with are from that world. The list is by no means exhaustive, I’m surrounded by incredible women who are all in charge of their business.
Working in the creative arts sometimes feels as though you are on a boat. Times of flying along with the wind in your sails followed by what feels like tides of doldrums and becalmed non-activity. It’s learning to ride the swell and keep your head down that gets you through. So, women, I give you a round of applause, which admittedly is just me clapping alone in my kitchen whilst a bemused dachshund looks on, however it is a round of applause nonetheless.

So, the Lili’s this year go to:

Aurora Galore
Watching Aurora Galore make waves in her ‘Year of the Weirdo’ has been joyous. From globe-trotting to award-winning, Aurora has been doing awesome things both onstage and off. From her make-up vlogs and her creative costuming to her fierceness and fearlessness onstage, it has been a bumper year for Aurora.

A woman of many skills, her fan dancing has to be seen to be believed and this year she has been passing those skills over to other performers in her sold-out fan dance workshops.

In June she won ‘Most Innovative’ at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend in Vegas with a performance of such ferocity and kookyness that it left the audience open-mouthed and on their feet.

If you get the chance to see her live in 2015, do, she’ll knock your socks off.
[photo: Aurora Galore]

Joanna Woodward/Coco Dubois
As a host, I rarely get to work with other hosts and I have to watch their careers run parallel to mine on various social media. At the tail end of this year, I got the chance to work with Coco at the Black Cat Salon des Artistes having wanted to work alongside her for ages. We were down an act and she stepped in at the last moment after her show was unexpectedly cancelled and she absolutely killed the audience, who quite rightfully gave her a standing ovation. She is a performer who manages, successfully, to have a foot in both cabaret and musical theatre. As I write this blog, she has just started rehearsals for a new West End production of ‘Beautiful – The Carole King Musical’ having already appeared in the hugely successful revival of Sondheim’s ‘Merrily We Roll Along’.

As well as having an astonishing voice, she has also been an outspoken voice for mental health and size issues on her blog, which is both emotional, honest and truly gives a glimpse into the, at times, fragile psyche of an artist. As well as writing, singing and hosting she has also been nominated for a London Cabaret Award this year.

 

So cabaret’s loss is musical theatre’s gain – for a while – I hope she’ll come back!
[photos: Andrew Nash & Lovany Manson]

Amanda Suter
I’m a complete vintage addict and Amanda Suter is one of my favourite vintage dealers. If I had to pick one place to get my fix in 2015, it would be Butchwax Vintage. Her stock is divine, like seriously world-class, A grade, stunning vintage. I’m never more thrilled than when a glorious piece she posts in her Etsy shop is not my size!

From gowns made for Persian royalty to frocks from Hawaii and everything in between, she is my go to gal for beautiful pieces that make me smile. She has an amazing eye for vintage that is unusual and rare as well as just downright divine.

Looking at her gorgeous clothes really does bring a smile to my face and I’m always enjoy it when she lists her new things and there is an internet scramble for the choicest morsels! Her parcels come beautifully packaged and wrapped with love and I’m always excited when one drops onto my doormat. I urge you to look at her fabulous Etsy shop.
[photos: Amanda Suter]

Sophie Mason
Three years ago, I started my variety show, AFVS, at the Edinburgh Festival. I was in the early stages of being pregnant with my son and I was aware that my lifting, carrying and people organising abilities were slightly compromised! I decided to take on an intern for the Fringe and I put the call out. I sifted through a raft of applications and one caught my eye. It was from a teenager from Dundee.

She didn’t have much experience, she hadn’t worked in cabaret but something kept bringing me back to her email. I decided to interview her and adored her immediately. I was concerned at her age so decided to take on a different chap and offer her work experience for the month. It was the worst decision ever, the chap turned out to be utterly incompetent and Sophie saved the day after day after day! She learned quickly, was efficient and awesome to be around.

She is amazing at organising, wrangling performers and keeping everyone (including me) on the straight and narrow. Since then, she has become a fixture of our team and even though she is now studying stage management at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, we can’t imagine doing a variety show without her. Once she’s graduated, I’m sure she’ll be fighting off offers of work and I will be thrilled to see her doing amazing shows.

Laura Corcoran/Frisky
Miss Corcoran has had a rather fabulous year, a sell-out season of a brand new Frisky & Mannish show at the Edinburgh Fringe with her partner-in-crime Mannish (Matthew Floyd Jones), followed by a very successful tour and directing the Elaine Paige show and national tour.

 

I have been lucky enough to work with her regularly at the Cafe Royal for the Salon des Artistes and her powerhouse vocals and inspired interpretations never fail to make me applaud very loudly. Her rendition of Florence & the Machine’s ‘Girl with One Eye’ remains one of my favourite interpretations of 2014. When Frisky goes freaky it’s fricking fabulous.

I look forward to working with her more in 2015 – hurrah for sisterhood.

So those are some of the ladies who inspired me this year. I can’t wait for 2015 and to be inspired again by all the creative, clever and funny ladies with whom I get to pass time. See you next year!

Love Lili. x

Lili’s Life Through a Rosewood Tinted Lens

Tags

burlesque, cabaret, Cafe Royal Hotel, coco malone, Dusty Limits, London, rosewood hotel, sammy dinneen, scarfe's bar, variety, Vicky Butterfly, Vintage

There is a huge trend in London at the moment for what has been termed ‘luxury cabaret’. Many of London’s finest hotels boast their own resident cabaret show, including The Savoy and The Cafe Royal Hotel. Now one of London’s most glittering five star hotels has tossed its gilded cap into the ring with ‘Cabaret at Scarfe’s’ which is just starting the second month of its residency under the expert hand of one of London’s finest cabaret singers, and someone of whom I am immensely fond, Mr Dusty Limits.

The venue is akin to something you may find in one of the stately homes of England, a drawing room from an earlier time. Glitteringly dark, bedecked with velvet and displays of glass-domed butteflies. The fire flickers welcomingly, drawing you in with its soporific glow, inviting you to fill your glass and relax into the bosom of friends. Dusty’s aim was always to create something that felt like the post-supper gathering at a country house weekend. Not a show but a party, a collection of friends. With that in mind, the cast mingles freely before the show, sharing drinks with guests and creating an atmosphere of louche decadence. When Dusty takes to the floor to start the evening’s entertainment, the crowd is already warm and welcoming which makes it very easy to slip into the show.

Curated by Dusty, the performers are plucked from London’s finest; Vicky Butterfly bedecked in downy white feathers, the delicious musculature of Sammy Dinneen, the velvety honey drenched voice of Coco Malone and I; I sing a bit.
In a space not naturally designed for performance, the show emerges from different parts of the room, Sammy upended on a table, me seated on the bar amid glasses and bottles and Vicky Butterfly stalking the aisles in her glowing cloak. I hope that the audience feel included and enveloped by the proximity of the performers. It is quite an astounding thing to have a semi-naked hand balancer mere inches from your face, his toes threatening to dip into your champagne.

As any good party should, the night gradually grows in debauchery and crapulence, with the hosts ending up close to the floor, or on it, indeed whilst the strains of the the Lorde song ‘Royals’ are played by the incredible musicians, Michael Roulston, Jonathon Kitching and Tom Mansi. More recently, I have found that there has been a glorious return to live music in cabaret shows and that is a delightful thing. A backing track can never replace the comradery of having real live people playing real live instruments playing music with you. It would be a wonderful thing if we were to see a complete absence of shows with track, although I realise that this is utter pie in the sky.

The show ends and dancers, beautifully attired in vintage clothing, take to the floor as the band play Irving Berlin. The crowd watches enraptured and transported to another time and place, a place of decadence and debauchery, where echoes of those Bright Young Things resonate still.
Join me at Scarfe’s Bar next Sunday for the next one of these amazing evenings, meet me by the fire, bring champagne.

Love Lili.
x

Cabaret at Scarfe’s
Rosewood Hotel
Doors 7pm, show 7.30pm
Buy a ticket HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Lili Sings Songs at a Sing-along Song Show

Tags

Carradine, Champagne Charlie, cockney, east end, London, sing-a-long, Tom Carradine, Vintage, Wilton's, Wilton's Music Hall

Last month, I had the pleasure of an evening out at Wilton’s Music Hall for a new night called ‘Carradine’s Cockney Sing-A-long’. It’s rare that I get an evening out without working as much of my spare time is given over to child-rearing or sleeping, so it was a complete treat to hop on the train and saunter through the backstreets of the East End to find myself in an alleyway, outside Wilton’s; London’s oldest surviving music hall.

I ducked inside, welcomed in from the Autumn chill by the warm glow and the excited chatter. Seated at the piano was the ever dapper, and beautifully turned out, Tom Carradine, resplendent in a vintage suit with one of the finest handlebar moustaches ever seen in London. Beside him, cabaret’s cheeky charleston chap and co-host, Champagne Charlie perused the song sheet.

I ordered a glass of champagne from the divine bar keep (always a huge plus point for me – lovely bar keeps!) and scanned the song sheets to see what musical delights Mr Carradine had up his well starched sleeve. Like me, he is a connoisseur of vintage and rare songs and his attention to detail is pretty, bloomin’ flawless.

Soon it was time to start and we raised our voices in song. The packed bar made a motley choir of champagne saturated voices singing together in joyful chorus. If you don’t know it, just mumble until you get to the chorus, or take a well-timed glug of your drink. The more you drink, the easier it becomes as the inhibitions with which you are fettered drop away like descending scales. The line up of songs had something for everyone; War Songs, Cockney Classics and no Cockney sing-a-long would be  complete without an obligatory ‘Oliver’ medley and enough “‘Ave a Bananas” to keep enough the most dedicated ‘mockney’ happy!

This is not a show. It’s almost an anti-show. It’s a gathering of friends, in a shabby East End bar, singing songs. In this time encapsulated by the solitude of technology and the reliance on television, it is a tonic for the soul to be transported back to a time of community and such simple pleasures as lifting your voice in song next to a complete stranger, linked only by the shared knowledge of these old melodies that have seeped into our public consciousness.

The singing finished, and I skipped off into the night to catch the train, light of heart and step. To paraphrase and translate from the poem by Schober, ‘An die Musik’, I was indeed transported to a better world.

The next ‘Carradine’s Cockney Sing-a-Long’ is on the 11th of November. I shall be there ready to sing songs and celebrate the joy of community singing – I urge you to join us. Entry is free (although there is gratuitous hat passing – so bring your gold coins!)

Love Lili
x

Carradine’s Cockney Sing-A-Long
Wilton’s Music Hall
Grace’s Alley
8pm
FREE!

[photos courtesy of Carradine’s Cockney Sing-a-long]

Burlesque Hall of Fame – final installment!

Tags

Aurora Galore, BHoF, bonnie fox, burlesque, Burlesque Hall of Fame, Kingfish, medianoche, Midnite Martini, Reigning Queen of Burlesque, swarovski, The King of Burlesque, vegas

I do apologise for the radio silence, it is getting very close to Edinburgh and my hands have been full of plans and programming for my variety show – Another F*cking Variety Show! I have a little time now, so I thought I would sit down and tell you all about Vegas.

So, the day of ‘The Big Show’ arrived. For those of you unfamiliar with the Burlesque Hall of Fame ‘Miss Exotic World’ Competition, it is like the Superbowl of burlesque. Performers from all over the world compete for titles in categories of ‘Best Debut’, ‘Best Troupe’, ‘Best Group’, ‘Best Boylesque – The King of Burlesque’ and the most coveted title ‘Miss Exotic World – Reigning Queen of Burlesque’.

I arrived in the empty theatre at quarter to eleven in the morning, with coffees in hand for my co-host, Kingfish from San Francisco, and I. I was early and the theatre was peaceful with the technical staff setting lights and the crew discussing the show details. I sat on the edge of the enormous stage and just took in the space. Gradually, burlesquers from all around the world began to drift in with fans and heels. Kingfish arrived and we sat down at the front of the auditorium and began to watch every single tech, we’d never met before, so it was a great chance for us to get to know each other a little before hosting a show together. I really love watching ‘mime burlesque’, that is, the burlesque that performers do when they are running through their routine in rehearsal so the tech wasn’t a chore. It also gave me the chance to see every routine that I’d be introducing, so I could get a feel for their style and intro them appropriately. It was really fantastic to see everyone do their thing before the audience that evening, and the tension was palpable even when everyone was in rehearsal clothes. My darling friend Aurora Galore was there and Bonnie Fox too, both competing for Best Debut.

 

I dragged my case backstage and the stage manager, the completely adorable Nikki Knickers, showed me to my dressing room which I was sharing with Lou Lou D’vil, Kingfish and Melody Sweets. I had five costume changes for the five hour show as well as the corresponding heels, sparkles, gloves and headdresses.

After the tech, late in the afternoon, I went upstairs to my room and gave myself ten minutes of peace, then I threw my face on and having seen the size of the venue made sure to drag up even more than usual. I literally had all the eyes and enough contouring to make RuPaul proud! I headed down to the theatre and slipped backstage where what seemed like 5000 burlesquers were buzzing around conversing in many different languages. There were more Swarovski’s per capita than I had ever seen. In fact, I’m sure that Burlesque Hall is solely responsible for keeping Swarovski afloat!

The show started with a troupe of dancing girls and semi-nude Kingfish. I was behind the curtain and my heart was in my mouth. Just get out onstage, don’t trip over your gown. Remember not to breathe and swallow at the same time, (you’d be surprised how much I do that!) The curtains opened and there were 800 people staring at me. Famous faces from the world of burlesque; producers, performers, teachers and legends. I sang an opening number – something short and sweet – no time for soliloquies! And then with a clap, a cheer and a “Lili, who’s your daddy” we were into the show.

First out of the blocks were the ladies competing for “Best Debut”. I was blown away time after time by the uniqueness and style of all the different performers. The UK performers, Aurora Galore and Bonnie Fox knocked it out of the park. Bonnie Fox’s Charleston-based routine was so slick and stylish that she made everyone else who attempted Charleston for the rest of the night look like beginners, (as well she should as she is one of the best Charleston dancers in the world!!). Aurora Galore was the final Debut and she was an astounding ball of wild energy. Dance-based and frenetic, Aurora managed to cram so much into her four minutes. Her poi-style fan work is astoundingly fast and she has the most awesome curves too, a tiny waist and a peachy ba-donk-a-donk. She has to be seen to be believed and although she is often imitated in the UK, she is never bettered for sheer out there weirdo-ness which stood out a mile amongst so much classic beauty. We all need a little weirdo in our lives and Aurora is more than a little!

As the night rattled on through amazing act after amazing act, the audience managed to stay focussed and enthralled even thought the show was easily the longest show I have ever hosted. As we made it to the potential Queens, I was in my second to last costume, my feet were killing me, my make up was still looking on point – but only because I was wearing so damn much of it and I had sprayed my face liberally with hairspray. I think I would still have been wearing it today if I had left it to fall off naturally! The Queens-to-be were all absolutely beautiful. Stylish, classy and elegant. I adored Medianoche, her routine was beautifully old-school and she has a very Catherine Delish-esque poise. Her sea-green and blue gown was literally heaven to me and the Swarovski’s on her nails caught the light and flashed most hypnotically.

We came to the end of the show and whilst the judges deliberated, Loulou D’vil, the Reigning Queen 2013 performed her outgoing dance. She was astounding. The glorious mix of utter sex and devastating glamour is a heady combination and Loulou has charisma in bucketloads. And did I mention that she might be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen?

The moment came to announce the winners. We announced the adjectives first (‘Most Innovative’, ‘Most Dazzling’ etc) and as I glimpsed in to the envelopes, I saw that both Aurora and Bonnie had won ‘Most Innovative’ and ‘Most Dazzling’, respectively. I was so proud of the both of them but I was especially thrilled for Aurora, she works so so so damn hard to create look that is so out of the norm, especially in the sea of beauty that is Vegas, and she is a fearless performer. It was the icing on the cake when Bonnie won ‘Best Debut’. We announced the other winners, Mr Gorgeous won the King’s crown and with it, a deliciously saucy kiss from the outgoing King Ray Gun and Boylesque legend Tigger! I’ve popped all the winners below for you. I would have loved to see Medianoche win but it was Midnite Martini who took the crown and deservedly so, as her routine had ladders, silks and some fascinating stocking work.

 

• Miss Exotic World 2014, Reigning Queen of Burlesque: Midnite Martini (Denver, CO)

  • 1st Runner Up: Medianoche (New York, NY)

  • 2nd Runner Up: Ginger Valentine (Dallas, TX)

• Best Boylesque: Mr Gorgeous (New York, NY)

• Best Debut: Bonnie Fox (London, United Kingdom)

• Best Group: Land of the Sweets (Seattle, WA)

• Best Troupe: The Ruby Revue (Dallas, TX)

• Most Classic: Missy Lisa (Dallas, TX)

• Most Comedic: Kitten & Lou (Seattle, WA/New York, NY)

• Most Dazzling: Bonnie Fox (London, UK)

• Most Innovative: Aurora Galore (London, UK)

So that was my weekend in Vegas. The following day, we lounged by the pool at the BHOF pool party

– you have never seen so many incredible people – with what a gloriously diverse community the burlesque world is blessed.

Now onward…to Edinburgh.

Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender – part 1!

Tags

BHoF, burlesque, Burlesque Hall of Fame, competition night, glamour, King of Burlesque, Las Vegas, Miss Exotic World, Queen of Burlesque, red carpet

Once a year, at the beginning of June, the burlesque world converges on Las Vegas for a convention quite unlike any other, The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender. Now, as everyone knows, I have been a longtime advocate and supporter of the art of burlesque and I was thrilled and honoured to be invited this year to host the big competition night on the Saturday. Now, when I say big competition night, I mean big. It’s the night when the panel of judges decide who should be crowned Best Debut, Best Group, Best Troupe, Best Boylesque (The King of Burlesque) and finally The Queen of Burlesque, also known as Miss Exotic World. It’s no mean feat, even to get through to Las Vegas, the performers have gone through a stringent judging process. So it’s the best of the best, being judged by the best.

We arrived in Vegas on Wednesday night with three suitcases stuffed to the brim with sequinned gowns, high heels, Swarovski crystals and enough lashes to make a broom. After a short limo ride we arrived at The Orleans, where the conference was being held, and I had just enough time to sling on a frock and some heels before we dashed out to catch Piff the Magic Dragon, Laurie Hagan and Nate Cooper in ‘Rose Rabbit Lie‘ at the Cosmopolitan.

It was a great show, some things weren’t where I would have put them, but hey, it isn’t my show. The acts were all phenomenally talented and I appreciate that in a variety show. By the time the show had finished and we stumbled out, bumping into many old friends on the way (including David Ladderman and Lizzie Tollemache who we have known for years in New Zealand. Big world, small world!) I was shattered and we returned to the hotel to sleep.

Thursday was registration day, we went along and I got my special wristband and a medal. I’m not sure why I got a medal but it was very nice to have one. Then it was time to rehearse for Saturday, I had never met my co-host before and it is terribly hard to create a rapport with someone you don’t know. However, Kingfish was a complete gentleman and put me at my ease and we put the opening of the show together. There were dancing girls, The Fishnet Follies, and Kingfish even had his own reverse striptease to do! After rehearsal I just had time to dash upstairs, sling on a frock and come back down for the first night’s festivities. The first show was the Burlesque Movers, Shakers and Innovators, a show jam packed with people doing new and creative things and for the stars of tomorrow, it also featured step-down performances from Swing Time (featuring Russell Bruner – a fabulous swing dancer and King of Burlesque 2012!) and King of Burlesque 2013 Ray Gunn. It was also hosted hilariously by Blanche DeBris and Jonny Porkpie. Their interplay and banter absolutely stole the show and I appreciated the hard work that had gone into their double act. Blanche, in particular, stole my heart with her cutesy voice and hilarious clowning. The red carpet was amazing, I have never had the honour of being surrounded by so much haute glam – it was a complete delight to see how much effort everyone made. There were lashes, wigs and sequins like you have never seen. The highest of heels, the most sparkly rhinestones – it was almost too much for the eye to take in. The audience response to the show was immense with standing ovation after standing ovation. I was completely overwhelmed by the number of people, the sheer glamour, the excitement of meeting people I admire and I decided to have an early night as I knew what the following days held in store for me.

To be continued…

 

 

The Oscar Wilde Bar rehomes a Stray Cat…

Tags

Black Cat, burlesque, cabaret, Cafe Royal Hotel, Ceil Chapman, champagne, costumes, Duncan Walsh Atkins, Dusty Limits, Frisky & Mannish, Lili la Scala, London, Marcella Puppini, Michael Roulston, music, Nicola Enigma, Oscar Wilde Bar, Salon des Artistes, Sarah Louise Young, Singer, Tattinger, the Black Cat Cabaret, variety

Now I know I have written about the Black Cat Cabaret before, but there has been an evolution for this kitten. After slipping away from the gaudy Cafe de Paris last year, the Black Cat has been rehomed by the gorgeous Cafe Royal Hotel, in the historic Oscar Wilde Bar (formally the Grill Room). The room is an extravaganza of gold leaf and mirrors with a baby grand piano in its centre and it is there where we set our stage.

As a singer, it is always a treat to be given the chance to interpret lesser known gems and as a regular attendee of the ‘Salon’ I get the chance to sing songs that would normally see the light of stage in a more conventional recital, as well as interpretations of other favourite songs of mine that I have hoarded in my collection. In many cabaret clubs we all slip into our comfortable staples, (normally those songs for which we can find the backing tracks) but the joy and delight of the ‘Salon des Artistes’ is the addition of the musicians; and what musicians they are! We are regularly graced by Michael Roulston, Nicola Enigma, Duncan Walsh Atkins and fabulous bass players like Tom Mansi. They enable us singers to perform music which is not normally found loitering around in other cabaret haunts.

We have also been lucky enough to have had some of the world’s top cabaret singers through the doors of the ‘Salon’ including Frisky (of Frisky and Mannish fame) is a regular and so is the amazing ‘La Poule Plombée’ with her carer, West End star Sarah-Louise Young. Lady Rizo stopped by when she was in town, Ali McGregor came along (avec enfant), Marcella Puppini (the founding Puppini Sister) and even Alfie Boe, (OK, he may not have sung a song, but he definitely was in the room – we’ll get him next time!)

Dusty Limits is the compere and director, although yours truly steps in on occasion. Otherwise, I get the chance to pull more unusual songs from my repertoire, soak them liberally in Tattinger (pink Tatty on occasion) and unleash them on our intimate and adoring audience. At the moment, I’m enjoying Lizst and Léhar as well as a little Radiohead. I’m contemplating some Mozart and some Poulenc for later in the year. Add to the mix, the muse – a gilded Vicky Butterfly, a devastating hand balancer, (you can count Reuben Kuan and Sammy Dineen amongst our guests!), resident danseurs ‘Cabaret Rouge’ and the best looking bar keeps in town (do make sure to look out for the heart-achingly gorgeous Tiago – Dusty’s particular favourite – although Tiago himself prefers a little Lili in his life, I’m sure!)

If you haven’t yet had the chance to come along to the ‘Salon des Artistes’, I suggest you unleash your inner artist, dress elegantly, slip through our door and wallow in the champagne-soaked decadence of our stunning home. It is a privilege to perform in such splendour and you’ll feel equally as astounded as the performers envelope you in their demi-monde of Parisian chic right in the heart of Piccadilly. I thought I’d leave you with a scattering of my favourite pictures taken by Clive Holland, one of modern cabaret’s greatest supporters.

And once you have finished gazing in wonder at the pictures, maybe you should stop by here and buy a ticket, go on, we’d love to see you.

Love Lili.

Lili goes to Coalville and Rosehill

Tags

cabaret, Coalville, Corsetry, Cumbria, Rosehill Theatre, Snibston Colliery, songs to make you smile, steampunk, Tom Carradine

Last weekend I had two fabulous gigs, the first was in the Snibston Colliery in Coalville. It was a steampunk event called ‘The New Age of Discovery’ and they asked me to sing some opera tunes from a gantry above the old railway tracks. The audience were beautifully attired in steampunk regalia and I do love dressing up, so it was a thrill to wear a corset and a huge Victoriana skirt and my ship-topped tricorn.

In the 20/20 vision of hindsight, it was maybe not the best outfit choice for climbing gantries on a soggy December evening with a gale blowing through!

It was amazingly evocative, especially when a real steam engine came powering through a screen towards the audience. There was also a most interesting corset exhibition of corsets from the 1890’s.

On the Saturday, I went on a stunning roadtrip (the A66 – amazing!) across the top of England, all the way to Cumbria to do a show in Whitehaven. The Rosehill Theatre is situated on the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere, overlooking the sea with far reaching views across to Scotland! Breathtakingly stunning. Once you step inside, it is like a miniature West End Theatre – complete with faux boxes.

The entire theatre is lined in red silk and they had a concert grand piano on the stage! It made my day. So many venues today make do with keyboards or electric pianos so it is such a treat to perform in a place with a real instrument as I feel you never get the depth and delicacy of touch from a souless electric piano. Everyone at the theatre was incredibly welcoming and my mother Dru, Tom Carradine, (who was playing piano for me) and I had an absolute giggle. The show (Songs to Make You Smile), went fabulously with such a warm audience. It was a real joy and I do hope I get the chance to go back to this beautiful, historic little theatre.
It is so rare to find these amazing little venues and I love to perform in such wonderfully intimate spaces, they should be treasured for their history and kept for future generations.

Until next time…

Love Lili.x

Lili loves a Showman

Tags

chap, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, edinburgh fringe festival, Fringe, gag reflex, Mat Ricardo, pleasance, show, Showman, suit, walker slater

This month every year, I decamp my household to the Edinburgh Fringe for a month of shows and socialising and this evening I slipped away from baby food and nappies and saw my first Fringe show, the incomparable Mr Mat Ricardo.

Produced by the rather fabulous Gag Reflex, Mat is the very embodiment of a gentleman juggler and he is, without a doubt, the best dressed chap at the Fringe. Wearing the most sick-makingly delicious tailor-made suit from Walker Slater here in (surprisingly) sunny Edinburgh, Mat looked every inch the gent, complete with rather natty pocket square. But enough of his sartorial prowess, on to his show.
I enjoyed it thoroughly, his level of skill is so high and he is completely passionate about his art. With a shot of history thrown in for good measure, the show is a whirlwind journey through some of the highest skill juggling stunts that you will see around today.
So do take the chance to see him, if you can, you won’t regret it. It is a rare treat to see so many incredible stunts in one show and all neatly tied together with Mat’s signature style.

Love Lili
x

Mat Ricardo: Showman is on from 31st to the 25th August at 18.50 in the Jack Dome, Pleasance Dome.

Lili Swings

Tags

Jive Aces, Lindy Exchange, Lindy Hop, Southend, Swing Dance

Last night, I had a rare night out sans baby, sans husband and sans shows. It was quite something to go out and be purely a spectator. I accompanied myself to the Saturday night of the Southend Lindy Exchange to see one of my favourite bands, The Jive Aces. I’ve known the boys for years and it is always a pleasure to see them play.They hadn’t met Rafferty, so in the afternoon we went down and had tea at the fabulous 50’s diner Bobby-Jo’s down in Southend before their evening show, who doesn’t love a catch up over milkshakes?
Then, after a quick dash home to pop Raff to bed, I slipped on one of my oldest vintage dresses, (it’s only 50’s but it was one of the first vintage dresses I ever bought almost a decade ago) slung my hair into an up-do, popped on a pair of pretty ballet flats, a slick of Illamasqua red lipstick and I skipped out the door (feeling guilty and vaguely panicked!)
When I arrived the party was in full swing, if you’ll pardon the pun!

I hadn’t seen any of the Southend swing dancers since before Rafferty was born, so it was nice to see everyone dolled up and looking their retro best. The ballroom at the Royal Hotel in Southend is gorgeous and slightly out-of-keeping given the less than salubrious pub below.

The Jive Aces came on and the crowd went wild with the lindy swinging hot and fast. It is always a joy to watch the boys play and I like nothing better than dancing the night away to their super happy tunes.
I used to swing dance nearly every night of the week, having been introduced to it by an old flame nearly 10 years ago. Since meeting my husband, (a staunch non-dancer!) my evenings dancing have dwindled, which is such a shame as I really miss it. I really should make the effort to go at least once a week, just to keep my foot in.
I’ve actually booked the boys to play at my variety show at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, a completely self-indulgent act but one that I know my audience will love.
So if you find yourself in the marvellous city of Edinburgh on say, August 12th, come along and enjoy the kings of the swingers!

Love Lili
x

Lili and the Black Cat

Tags

Black Cat, burlesque, cabaret, Cafe de Paris, Dusty Limits, entertainment, glamour, London, Offenbach, Paris, Vicky Butterfly

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be invited to perform at The Black Cat Cabaret at the Cafe de Paris in Leicester Square. The C de P is one of my favourite London venues and it is based on the design of the decadent first class dining room on the Titanic. Over the years, many of my idols have sung there including Cole Porter, Marlene Dietrich and Noel Coward and you can feel the history oozing from the velvet covered walls, at least I think it was history, it might have been something entirely different.With the stage now back in it’s original position underneath the grand double staircase, the atmosphere is better than ever.
The Black Cat Cabaret is the brainchild of the divine Vicky Butterfly, Dusty Limits and David Harris, formerly of the Boom Boom Club and their absinthe-soaked touch is apparent through every seam of this fabulous cabaret. I had the chance to chat with Mr Limits about the evolution of the The Black Cat and he told me “David came up with the name and in discussion, largely drawing on Vicky’s encyclopaedic knowledge, we came up with a rough idea of what kind of show we wanted it to be; something a bit timeless and magical and evocative of the past without being a museum piece. We want to take the audience into another world to a degree, so we avoid things that are too topical.”

It isn’t often that I get to dust off the operetta and sing it to a cabaret audience, but it is an experience I absolutely relish. On this occasion I sang my non-burlesque version Olympia’s Doll Song from the Tales of Hoffmann to a wonderfully warmed up audience. Their response was very favourable and I had such fun. It’s wonderful when a song which is less mainstream evokes such a positive response from a potentially uninitiated audience. If only I could sing Poulenc & Debussy all the time to such acclaim.
The other acts on the night were all glorious, from the living art work and the artistic stylist of the evening, Vicky Butterfly, the saucy Cabaret Rouge ladies to the marvellous Jess Love and Missy Macabre too but the night really belongs to it’s host, the marvellously louche and gin-soaked Dusty Limits. He really is the compere beyond compare. The men want him, and the women want to be him – he’s like a consumptive Dionysis, a demi-mondaine of the highest degree and being this, he is the very essence of Montmartre, reborn en Angleterre. In passing, I asked Dusty what the future holds for this inky feline and he told me that “the next big step is to make the show seasonal, so instead of one-month runs, we’ll have a 13-week run with a fairly stable cast, so we’ll have an Autumn season starting in September.” What a brave new step for London cabaret, to make a show that is more akin to the Vegas shows like Absinthe or the Australian La Clique, Dusty agreed, “we’re excited about this because it gives us a chance to shape something really theatrical, which is a lot more difficult when you’re changing the show every four weeks”. Bravo, for this bold move, I feel it is a perfect move for the London Cabaret Scene.

Anyway, back to me! I wore my newest costume, although it is actually made up of various bits and pieces that I have found here and there. The bodice used to be a Queen of the Night costume, but with a mini-tutu and a tricorn it has a certain Parisian circus feel. It has the most fabulous vintage jet beading on the front.

I had the most marvellous evening and I’m lucky enough to be appearing there throughout June. So if you find yourself near Piccadilly and at a loose end, come along to the Black Cat. I must warn you, it is sold out most evenings so do buy your tickets in advance and I have popped a link here.
Maybe see you there?

Bisous

Lili

x