Adelaide Fringe rolls out the red carpet to welcome burlesque royalty Imogen Kelly as she presents two sexy, glamorous and innovative shows.
The only Australian so far to be crowned World Queen Of Burlesque in Las Vegas, Imogen is a world-renowned performer and certified legend of the exquisite form.
In her grand opus ‘La Grande Folie’, Imogen celebrates her ever-so-leggy, high-end collection of acts that have made her a scintillating star.
An account of her life as a pioneer and a world-class burlesque headliner, ‘La Grande Folie’ features her famous Marie Antoinette take-off ‘Let Them Eat Cake’, her award-winning ‘Flamingo Go’ from Las Vegas and her step-down act as World Queen Of Burlesque, her incredibly moving ‘Clair De Lune’.
From having a stoush with the Sydney mafia and liberating striptease by singlehandedly changing entertainment laws at the height of the AIDS epidemic, to running away with a circus to escape the mob then finding herself performing for sheiks and movie stars, ‘La Grande Folie’ features ten stories from Imogen’s incredible 30-plus year career.
It’s the show that dares to ask the question: can striptease save the world? Imogen is accompanied in ‘La Grande Folie’ by her boundary-breaking co-star Memphis Mae.
Throughout her career, Imogen has worked to deconstruct the stigma that shrouds burlesque as an art form while inspiring and fostering subsequent generations of performers.
In Imogen’s second show at Adelaide Fringe, ‘Fugly’ she presents a showcase of artists from her collective Bent Burlesque that are subversive, distinctively queer, and hilariously satirise the ugliness of humanity.
Joining headliners Imogen Kelly, Kitty Litteur, Tash York and Ruby Slippers are unique guests from non-binary, trans, POC, differently abled and First Nations backgrounds, creating what has been called a ‘kaleidoscope of identities’.
Adelaide guests include Sarah Birdgirl, Adam Kazar, Kitty Obsidian and Jazida.
Imogen created Bent Burlesque in 2011 as a platform for presenting underground queer burlesque to the overground, featuring a revolving roster of diverse performers.
“These brilliant acts happen in LGBTQIA+ environments and they bring the room alive,” Imogen says.
“These are top-end performers in every way. Their energy and commitment to the audience is next level.”
Imogen says ‘Fugly’ is a big, glorious, glamorous riot that celebrates a style of burlesque created by the seminal burlesque pioneers in the 1990s. Imogen brings ‘Fugly’ to Adelaide Fringe with the intent of exposing it to a wider audience in a comfortable setting.
“I am a firm believer that everyone should be able to see this style of performance; however not everyone goes to those venues,” she says.
“Many people have never been to a gay night club, for instance. So, I will bring the art to you! ‘Fugly’ is an opportunity to see women really have an artrage and use it on the world in their own way.
“Bent Burlesque really is its own beast. It is a place where subversion is possible, and where the performances are treated as artworks. I curate them in a gallery to show just how fabulous Australian LGBTQIA+ performers really are and the audience can never quite believe what they are seeing.”
‘La Grande Folie’ plays Wonderland Spiegeltent at Wonderland Festival Hub - Hindmarsh Square (Adelaide Fringe) 3-5 March. ‘Fugly - Bent Burlesque’ plays Empire Cabaret Theatre at Wonderland Festival Hub - Hindmarsh Square (Adelaide Fringe) 16-19 March.
