The Stage

The Hurly Burly Show

Published Friday 7 November 2008 at 16:47 by Paul Vale

Burlesque has returned with a vengeance and the Leicester Square venue plays a suitable home to the delights the Polly Rae and her Hurly Burly Girlys have to offer. As a regular event at the Soho Revue Bar this act has steadily gained a large and enthusiastic following and as with any burlesque, much of the excitement and atmosphere can be generated by an appreciative audience as much as the show itself. Alix Longman’s creation is a sumptuous affair mixing ebullient choreography with cheeky comedy and a generous helping of tease. Rising to the fore is the delightful Polly Rae, who’s tiny frame dominates the stage writhing in a selection of outrageous costumes from Black Swan to Scarlett O’Hara via Geisha vixen and Barbarella minx.

What makes Rae’s act different is her vocal ability. Whereas many a burlesque artist will settle for the bump and grind, Rae forgoes the silent act and gives us hearty renditions of classic ballads such as Fever, here decked out in a riot of crinolines and pompadours or Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries, a rye duet with the host. As the host for the evening Dusty Limits proves to be the compere without compare. Limits’, blessed with a wicked comic tongue sharpened by so many hen-nights, makes a delightful foil to Rae’s vampish charms. Also a fine vocalist Limits belts a Weimar worthy Johnny cavorting atop a straight-backed chair but it is his own number, the disgraceful Why River, that paints a much more astute picture of this talented performer.