At the Movies with Peaches ‘n’ Gin Burlesque
The first time I saw a Peaches ‘n’ Gin show they were performing in a small room at Cushdy – now they are performing sold-out shows at Nexus Cabaret, a much larger, and more fitting, venue for their talents.
Their latest show, Peaches ‘n’ Gin At the Movies, showcases a series of movie-themed acts that take on a variety of films including the classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the action packed True Lies and the magic filled Harry Potter franchise. Hosts Rohan Watts and Cara Louise, a Margaret and David like presence at their table to the side of the stage, introduce each new movie scene and rating the offerings out of a possible 5 tassels. Cara is not just host and her musical medley, accompanied by David Salter was lovely.
As with other burlesque shows I’ve been to it took the crowd a little while to warm to the idea of cheering and clapping during the performances but once they did their cheers seemed likely to drown out the accompanying tracks.
One of my favourite things about Peaches ‘n’ Gin shows is the way they incorporate comic elements into the burlesque acts, and don’t just leave them for the jokes cracked by the hosts in between. And they don’t just elicit a giggle here or there but often complete laugh out loud moments! However, there were darker moments as one of The Strawberry Siren’s acts, inspired by Secretary, provides a nice contrast.
As difficult as it is to choose a favourite act, a highlight for me was the Harry Potter scene starring Luna Eclipse as Harry Potter and Sapphire Snow as Draco Malfoy, who always complement each other beautifully. I won’t say much but I think I read a fanfic like that once…
