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Sydney’s Primetime Burlesk Fest is back for its second year, bringing together burlesque and variety performers aged 40 and over from across Australia and New Zealand for a two-day festival at The Gaelic Club in Surry Hills.
The festival, produced by Ana Seethe and Emmeline Spankhurts, runs across two shows on 16 and 17 May at the Surry Hills venue. It follows a debut season that earned a nomination for Best Burlesque Production at The BOA Awards.
Creating space for older performers
The festival was founded on the premise that performers over 40 face inequitable access to performance opportunities compared to younger counterparts.
“We aim to empower older performers and highlight that aging out of performing doesn’t have to happen, that all shows can benefit from including the talents of older performers in their cast,” the producers explained.
The event features 18 performers drawn from burlesque scenes across Australia and New Zealand, with acts split across a Saturday night show and a Sunday matinee.
The lineup
Saturday’s show features Kelly Ann Doll, Beau Jangeaux, Boo Louise, Tathyana, Viridian Mint, Emmeline Spankhurts, Jessyka, Turquoise Delite, Sapphire Matizze and Fannie Fiasc-Oh.
Sunday’s matinee brings Kelly Ann Doll, Natalya Alessi, Sheena Miss Demeanour, Miss Gertie Mae, Ana Seethe, Pomme de Terror, Heaven Z’Dor, Grace Cherry and Pip E-Lysaah.
Both shows are hosted by Satin Spitfire with Auslan interpretation by Mama La Roux. Backstage coverage and videography is handled by Lady Hart, with photography by Diamond De Ville. The festival logo was designed by Rochelle Buckley Art.
Two producers with a shared mission
Seethe and Spankhurts met backstage years ago and began co-producing together in Sydney through their show Bitesize Burlesk, a neo-burlesque focused event held on Wednesday evenings roughly every second month.
Seethe started performing burlesque in 2016 as part of Diesel Darling‘s troupe. With a background in ballet and other dance forms, she moved quickly into solo performance and began producing shows in 2017.
Her earlier productions included variety shows in the Hawkesbury (north of Sydney) focused on coming of age in the 1990s, most notably Ana Seethe’s Expose which ran from 2017 to 2019. She went on to produce Ferociously Forty and Rising, a burlesque show for performers aged 40 and over at Sydney Fringe, which ran for three seasons.
Spankhurts has been attending burlesque shows since 2008 and began taking classes in 2010. She made her debut as a soloist after joining Satin Spitfire‘s performance course in 2016. She has since performed at Rule 34, The Comedy Burlesque Hour and Burlesque in Hand.
Both producers describe themselves as Gen Xers with a shared love of non-conformity and the burlesque artform across all styles, shapes, ages, abilities and genders.
An inclusive weekend
The festival is open to anyone aged 18 and over. Organisers stressed that the event is designed as an inclusive environment for both audience members and performers.
“We love to see audience members of all ages being inspired by what legacy they too will one day leave,” the producers noted.
“It’s time for performers over 40 to shine.”
Tickets are available through Eventbrite for both the Saturday night show and the Sunday matinee.
