The Hurly Burly Show, Duchess - review

As burlesque becomes ever more mainstream, Miss Polly Rae's show attracts as many women as men, with the stripping aiming for laughs as much as eroticism
19 August 2012

Burlesque is now so mainstream it would be unsurprising to see bump and grind lessons on the NHS. And who better to teach them than Miss Polly Rae, the star of this mildly titillating cocktail of seaside postcard sauce, classic fan dancing and light S&M for the Fifty Shades of Grey demographic?

Kylie Minogue was present, supporting her creative sidekick William Baker, who directs the Hurly girlies. The show is well-oiled, with six skilful dancer/singers and Rae moving slickly through sketches, reworking classics by, among others, Queen, Britney and Michael Jackson. Maybe they should have resisted Madonna, though. This was a reminder that Madge essayed this sanitised raunch years ago.

There is nothing distasteful here, which may explain why the show attracts as many women as men. Not even a nipple is aired. The script is as skimpy as the nuns’ habits in the dominatrix routine but good-humoured.

The stripping aims for laughs as much as eroticism and there is a suggestive gag with lemons in a kitchen skit. Entertaining? Yes. Sleazy? No. The only dirty macs seen were there because of the weather.

The Hurly Burly Show runs until September 22 (0844 482 9672, nimaxtheatres.com).

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