Over the past couple of years we have been lucky enough to attend a multitude of events at St Andrews church (including most recently the new wave wrestling Pride special which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/09/05/new-wave-wrestling-pride-special-event-review/) and every-time there is the small voice in the back of my head reminding me that this is in fact a place of religious worship. This was never clearer than when co-owners Nathan Wyburn (who was recently announced as the brand new general manager of the aforementioned new wave wrestling) and his co-owner of the Cardiff theatre cafe Wayne Courtney started with a rendition of the classic Amazing Grace. As someone who was brought up with a mixture of feelings including nostalgia for a song I have not heard in a very long time and pure confusion as this was used to open a burlesque show. The sense of confusion was quickly wiped away however as the pair transitioned into an iconic Madonna Medley as the Del-Fflur director Lili Del Fflur (who we recently interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/oLe5eRTd7vs?si=TUS-bjgKmGXznZQ3) and the iconic Lana Del Red flooded to the stage bearing pride flags for a high-energy and camp opening to the rest of the evening!
Despite the opening moments of the show seeing guest appearances by owners of Cardiff Theatre Cafe and resident producers of Del Fflur productions, the actual host of this event was the fabulous Scarlett Allure who is someone I have been following on social media for a very long time so I was very excited to see them take to the stage! Scarlett decided to start their set with a wonderfully jazzy performance of Tainted Love by Soft Cell. Not only did Scarlett sound amazing but it also was a fantastic way to get the audience on their side as the majority of the audience sang only to the 80s classic. At one point in the evening, Scarlett launched into a rendition of a pride-infused rendition of If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands which the audience got involved with! Showcasing the sensual and elegant style associated with the dance style known as burlesque, Scarlett showcased a wonderful rendition of the iconic “When You’re Good to Mama” from the musical Chicago. As the number progressed Scarlett removed more and more items of clothing and in fact, at one point Scarlett sensually removed their gloves as confetti exploded from the gloves which the audience went absolutely wild for! I thought that it was insanely clever to have the host do a burlesque-infused performance as it helped to create a cohesive motif for the audience to follow throughout.
Next to the stage was the mesmerising It’s Llewelyn (who we most recently saw perform at Jolene’s drag race which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/07/30/jolenes-drag-race-week-one/) who we were first introduced to at our first Del fflur Festive Frolics event (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/12/10/festive-frolics-production-review/) almost a year ago! My favourite routine from this performer also came during the later end of the show where Llewelyn gracefully glided through the audience to join newly appointed New Wave Wrestling general manager Nathan Wyburn and queen of the Palace Wales winner Venus Flytrap (who we recently interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/0FTZ-HlEdcQ?si=F3kCvx4jztw4AwPz) as they held two gorgeous feathered fans. This routine was everything you would expect from a classic burlesque performance with buckets full of glamour, wonderful feathered fans and the iconic “I am a good girl” from the movie Burlesque. If you have ever been lucky enough to see Llewelyn performing you will know that they have the most fantastic stage presence and perform with every single inch of their body which creates a totally captivating act from every single person in the audience.
At the aforementioned festive frolics event, I was also introduced to the co-producer of this (and all the Del fflur productions events) event Lana Del Red and their seductive perspective on the art of burlesque. Before they could get to the stage, however, Lili Del Fflur walked out in an adorable pyjama set complete with cookies and milk as if she were getting ready for a much-needed slumber. Lili was not the only person at this impromptu sleepover however as Lana walked through the audience armed with an adorable, oversized teddy bear. Once Lana finally reached the stage however this slumber party took a more sexual turn as the performer began treating the Teddy to a very special lap dance. At one point in the routine Lana stole the cookies and milk and began suggestively pouring them over themselves which was met by confused looks from her sleepover buddy. As expected Lana gave a highly sensual performance but also used every inch of the stage to create a truly mesmerising and exciting performance. The contrast between the two producers created the perfect sense of contrast and managed to add a great sense of comedy to this already fantastic performance!
My favourite performance of the evening however came towards the end of the show as Lili Del Fflur danced through the crowd in the most wonderful rainbow suit to the iconic I am what I am which tied back into the pride motif exhibited throughout but especially the opening of the show! Those who know me in real life will know that I adore any version of this fabulous song and so from the moment the music started I was already transfixed. It was extremely clear that Lili was having the time of her life dancing to the camp classic and when the cast flooded to join her on the stage the joy in the air multiplied tenfold! The audience was treated to a very different style of dance from Lili during this number which again helped the number stand out after an evening of wonderful performances. Having two camp pride celebrations at the beginning and the almost end of the show created a wonderful full-circle moment within the event that helped mark the closing moments of the show. On top of being one-half of the official flag bearers for this event, co-directing the entire evening and showcasing two incredible performances, Lili also helped to prepare two separate groups of aspiring performers to take the stage at this pride-inspired event. Both the Hopkinstown and Clydach dels (some of which have only been dancing for sixteen weeks) took to the stage to showcase all their hard work which the crowd went absolutely wild for! Both the performances were absolutely fantastic, especially considering how new they are to perform with a very classic style of burlesque (including an incredible routine with silk fans) which was amazing to watch.
The headliner of this event was the incredible Merlin the Grey who is also someone I have been following for a long time but have yet to see perform until Del Fflur Productions took over the Cardiff theatre cafe! One of my personal highlights from their performance this evening came at the closing moments of the show at Merlin took to the stage in a priest outfit as the iconic It’s a Sin started blasting throughout the venue. The courage it must take to go into a church and perform a religious-centric number is immense but Merlin did not seem fazed in the slightest. This then transitioned into an insane high-energy performance of Unholy by Sam Smith. They used every inch of the stage and audience area to create a truly immersive performance which the audience went absolutely wild for! As the number went on more and more items of clothing were removed (again keeping with the burlesque theme of the night) which ended with Merlin having next to nothing on apart from a harness and straps. This whole duality storyline could have been very controversial but the audience was way too transfixed by the performer to really think about anything else!
Overall, del-lightful debuts continue to be a showcase for the many aspects and styles of the art from known as burlesque. From new performers to established talents, Del Fflurs have created a space that is inclusive and welcoming of every single person and the pride injection only exaggerated this. I would rate this event 5 stars out of 5!
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