The Immodest Tease Show

Published Tuesday 25 March 2008 at 09:45 by Paul Vale

Even less than five years ago, there were those who suggested that the art of burlesque had finally died out to make way for a slew of pole and lap dancers. The fact is, Burlesque has never died, it was simply transforming itself and patiently waiting for an audience to rediscover its delights. Judging by the state of play at Koko, Burlesque has not only found a palace to house its growing number of devotees, but also a stage to show off its undoubted queen, the incomparable Immodesty Blaize.

Blaize took the West End by storm two years ago and here she is back with a new act, bigger and bolder than ever. The peroxide flash streaking through her raven hair heralds the new routines to follow. In her new palace she is surrounded by nubile dancers. The furs are richer, the diamante shines a little brighter and, thankfully, the humour remains. The masterstroke here is a 14-piece band, rich in sleazy brasses that colour the atmosphere around her and raise the burlesque notch even higher.

Host for the evening is that master of the single-entendre, Julian Clary. Those easily offended by Clary’s cut-throat campery on television would do well to stay at home, as his live act glistens with innuendo and waspish humour. Canny producer Andrew Sutton has brought us the legendary Dirty Martini direct from Broadway, plus a slew of specialist dancers from the ever increasing pool in the UK, each one offering a very different act lest the tease become repetitive. A powerhouse body with enough sassy moves to drive the house into a frenzy, blonde bombshell Martini is not only a legend but surely a role-model glamorous enough to counter the size-zero conspiracy.

It is Blaize, however, who remains the highlight of the evening, sending home her devotees with a smile on their face and bump and grind in their step.