One of the biggest names in burlesque, Imogen Kelly is back with her new show Herstory, to put a refreshing twist on some of history's most famous females.
“I tried to pick females that would show all different aspects of womanhood. There's a Queen, a writer, a politician's wife, and some from Hollywood as well. I'm just trying to show different characteristics of women who have been in places of power and have been judged because of their sexuality. So that's what the show explores in a very comical and sexy way.”
Though this is Kelly's latest offering, the inspiration stemmed from one her earliest ideas. “The inspiration behind it came from one of my early bodies of work which involved women from history or old films. It involved changing their dialogue and exploring their sexuality — people like Margaret Thatcher who were completely devoid of all sexuality but I'm sure had to have one deep down. The first character I did was Shirley Temple, actually, inspired from this quote that she was the world's first porn star, and I loved that.”
Besides being crowned the World's Reigning Queen of Burlesque in Las Vegas last year — something she sees as a defining moment — Kelly's long and impressive career is littered with achievements, including multiple degrees. But Kelly believes that what separates her from other burlesque girls is actually having something to say, and not just a pretty face.
“I think it (burlesque) struggles in Australia a bit because the girls performing don't push themselves or they don't have anything to say. They're just up on stage to be seen. They call that empowerment, but for me, that's indulgence. They need to understand that as a performer they have a responsibility to entertain their audience and to get them to think, to laugh and to engage them, and not just get up there and talk about yourself. But I do think it's a very important art form because women are standing up for pretty much the first time in Western history and claiming their own sexual image on stage. It's very exciting to see women be able to do that, especially those with different bodies. I think it's important that burlesque is one place where women aren't judged for the way they look.”
For those well familiar with burlesque, don't get comfortable too soon, as Kelly tends to do things a little differently from the rest of the pack. “It won't be like your average burlesque show. It won't have feathers and froth and all that glamour. This show will be about exploring women and their sexuality. But it will still be lots of fun.”
