Del-lightful Debuts – Performance Review

Over my short three years of being a reviewer I have been able to see a wonderful array of performances from online murder mysteries (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2021/02/21/sherlock-in-homes-2-murder-on-ice-review/) to drag shows to musicals etc but one thing that I had not been lucky enough to experience until a few weeks ago was the art form of burlesque. Now I have to admit that going into this show my only knowledge of this art form was based on the iconic movie Burlesque starring Cher and Christina Aguilera (which is excitedly being made into a stage production soon) and the hearsay that it is essentially stripping. While burlesque is fundamentally about the sensual removal of clothing there is no nudity and instead focuses on the art of teasing. I found myself constantly thinking that each performance must be almost over as the performers had very little clothes left however they would continue removing what little clothes they had left without seeing any inappropriate body parts. I never knew there were so many layers of nakedness!

The first notable thing about this Del-lightful debuts burlesque show is that it strangely took place in St Andrews church where we attended Dragged to church a few years ago (which you can read about at ….) I don’t know about you but the idea of ‘strip teasing’ in a church building is not two things I usually put together! What I thought was really special about this production was the fact that they sold Del-dollars that were physical ‘cash’ (that could be purchased) to throw over the performers throughout the evening. The money for this was then split between the performers as a fun way to tip the dancers and there was money flying through the air constantly throughout the night! The entire night was hosted by the fabulous Lili Del Fflur who helped to introduce each of the performers and delivered all the announcements (raffle, rules of burlesque etc) but we were also treated a show opening performance as well! As my first exposure to burlesque, this routine set the standard for the entire night. It was everything you would expect from this artful and had the audience wooing throughout! On top of all this, I got the impression that Lili is a mentor for the majority of the performers. During a group number of the Del-flur delights, Lili was visibly tearful over how proud she was of the newish performers!

Following the head coach must be a very difficult position to fall in a lineup up but sensual Lizzie did not seem fazed at all! She graced the stage in a wonderful pink ensemble but the highlight for me was her clever and careful use of a feathered fan. This prop was not only used to frame Lizzie to create a ready-made ‘photo’ opportunity but also the way she was able to control every movement made it look like at times the feathers were breathing! Every single movement was deliberate and purposeful yet beautiful creating a very smooth viewing experience for the audience. After Lizzie was the incredible Chloe Luxx who I have to admit was not a drag performer I was particularly familiar with before this event but is absolutely someone I am going to keep an eye on! They walked onto the stage in a massive black vinyl coat that contrasted flawlessly with the neon green outfit worn underneath. Their high-energy, intensely choreographed rendition of the iconic “When I grow up” by the Pussy Cat Dolls totally mesmerising to watch! They used every single inch of not just the stage but also the entire venue with the audience captivated throughout the whole show! Khloe was absolutely in control of the audience throughout with any move conjuring massive applause every single time.

As previously discussed I thought burlesque was just a deviation of stripping but Luna proved that there is a much bigger focus on storytelling. She decided to depict that situation that we have all been in where you have drunk too much at a work Christmas party. At one point she even got up onto a chair and began dancing which is an an iconic drunk Christmas party thing that happens frequently. I thought that this piece of choreography was purposeful and clever as it made sense within the overall narrative but also fitted the burlesque vibe of the evening. The headline performer for this evening was none other than the gorgeous Elena Candela who looked totally comfortable on the stage. They used every inch of the stage with the audience loving every single second of it! One of the highlights of this event for me however came from Ivy who decided to go down a much more dominatrix-infused show. She strutted around the stage to the heavy mental infused track ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’ by Scorpions which fitted the intense, in-charge vibe of the song perfectly which again made for a very cohesive viewing experience! She walked onto the stage in a wonderful black and white flame jacket (which I really need to own!) and this was removed to reveal a sparkly black corset. The contrast of the black vinyl was visually striking and was only amplified by the powerful chore choreography. This was not the only reveal though as throughout the number her trousers peeled off and he corset was removed (perfectly in time with the music) which have roars from the audience every time an item of clothing was removed!

My favourite performance of the performance however would have to be Neon Flare who looked absolutely stunning in their Greek goddess-inspired outfit. They were absolutely transfixing throughout but one point in the number saw them balance on top of a chair while maintaining total control of every other single part of the body and continuing to contort their body in an effortlessly gorgeous way! Every single movement was purposeful and sensual creating a performance that could not be missed. You can watch part of the routine on our TikTok at https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeeFHQUq/ and I guarantee you will be in awe of how gracefully this person is while balanced on a chair. We were also treated to some non-binary finery as Lana and Dell graced the stage to perform with each other for the first time ever! If this is truly their first time performing together then I cannot wait to see what they will be like in years to come as this was absolutely brilliant! At one point Dell pulled out an incredible splits on the stage which had buckets full of del-dollars cascading onto them.

Overall, Del-lightful Debuts was a wonderfully inclusive safe space that allowed everyone to showcase their incredible talent. Considering that this entire event was aimed at showcasing newer performers, the talent on display was absolutely amazing and made for a truly special first experience of this art form! As an audience member I could feel the love and support from everyone in the room directed at each and every act bit I can only imagine how liberating it must feel to be on stage performing as the audience woos and throws dollars over you. Anytime we can encourage anyone to love themselves it can only be a positive thing and in fact, I think we should create more of these opportunities. I would rate this show 4.5 out of 5 stars!