Burlesqued For Success

There are few words as potent as 'burlesque'. Even if you've never heard the term before, it's immediately evocative: a rich, luxe word that rolls off the tongue, ending in a flourish. It's little surprise that this vintage art of erotic titillation has become so beloved of so many Australians – in an age of hypersexualisation, the art of the tease is making a comeback.

One of the leading lights of Australia's contemporary burlesque scene is a woman who goes by the name Briana Bluebell. Bluebell won the 2012 Miss Burlesque Australia competition and, though that means she can't enter the contest again, she's been using her talents and experience to judge the current crop of aspirants. “I'm really passionate about judging,” says Bluebell. “I love to help the performers who are up and coming, and just give them a bit of guidance. I love giving them feedback and helping them improve where they can.”

Bluebell first came across burlesque while in London with friends. “I saw this gorgeous little show – it was quite raw at the time – called Miss Polly Rae,” she explains. (Of course, Polly Rae has since gone on to become a burlesque sensation with multiple world tours to her name.) “The show was quite cheeky and funny and a little bit of striptease and a little bit of comedy. We came back to Australia and we thought, 'Oh, we really want to do this here,' and then we discovered that there was already a [burlesque] scene.” Bluebell began performing in a group with her friends before eventually choosing to pursue a career as a solo artist.

Of course, any emerging performer will tell you that the hardest part is building a name for yourself, and the desire to become better-known saw Bluebell enter the very first Miss Burlesque Australia competition in 2010. “I saw it as a bit of a business opportunity – a platform to promote myself,” she explains. Even though she was just, in her own words, “having a go”, Bluebell won her State Final but came second in the national Grand Final. “I was a bit disappointed,” she admits. “I thought I'd give it a rest in 2011 and re-enter in 2012.” When she took her tilt at the 2012 title, she was well and truly ready. “I put everything into it so if I'd lost I would have been pretty disappointed.” Fortunately, a loss was not on the cards. “To win it, I was just so elated.”

The Miss Burlesque Australia crown is about to be passed on – the State Finals will be taking place around Australia in the coming weeks (incorporating the My Boylesque competition for the guys), with the Grand Final set for Saturday 25 May. Performers across the country will be vying for the title (and no wonder – it comes with $10,000 worth of cash, prizes and sponsorship). However, what all the performers need to remember to bring is a little bit of their uniqueness. After all, everyone finds inspiration from different sources, and Bluebell is no exception. “One of my Grand Final performances last year was based on James Bond because I just love the Bond movies – I think they're just fantastic. I love the music and the storylines and the colour and costume.” Fair enough – after all, that's what so many people love about burlesque.

Miss Burlesque Australia will take place the following dates:

Friday 8 March - Factory Theatre, Sydney NSW
Saturday 9 & Saturday 16 March - Fly By Night, Perth WA
Friday 22 March - Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne VIC
Sunday 24 March - The Old Museum, Brisbane QLD