Madame Belle d'Amour cabaret

In typical British fashion the weather was beginning to turn to the usual rain, wind and cold ready for the August bank holiday weekend.  Down in a grungy and dark cellar (I do actually mean this in a very nice way) in Hove, something not so typically British was about to happen.  Madame Belle d'Amour was preparing for one of her evenings of hilarious cabaret with a mix of modern and traditional burlesque.

This was the fourth show put on by Belle, and I have been fortunate enough to witness how her confidence has grown over this time, along with her ability to command the audience and produce the laughs which has shone so brightly through.  This goes for the performers as well, some have been with Belle from show one, whilst some have been "acquired" in to the family along the journey.  The shows have all been themed, and this one was no exception, with the end of summer theme being "the last day at the b**ch".  Luckily helping hand Lisa (and probably the reason these shows manage to be organised in the first place) was around with the English translation so that we all know that Belle is referring to the beach!​

Performing at this show along with Belle were Tori Tequila and her candles, dance inspired August Petite, Venus Gallactica giving us two very animated visual stories, Allegra Rose performing twice including her fabulous ribbon dance, Elsie May making her excellent debut to Belle's show offering a more classical burlesque routine and rivaling Belle for the prize of who wore the dress better, and finally Michael Jackson mad Rose Demure with her fantastic fan dancing.  But all in all, who stole the show?  My money is on the audience member trying to duet with Belle to Victoria Wood's "The Ballad of Barry and Freda" aka "I Can't Do It".

No date set yet, but the next show should be around Halloween.  If you want a night full of laughs, drag (shhh, Belle is not actually a lady), and burlesque, that's just about got the right balance of polish and spontaneity, grunge and glamour, then see you there at the Brunswick Cellar bar!

​You can view the full gallery here

Madame Belle d'Amour

Tori Tequila

Venus Gallactica

Allegra Rose
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​Rose Demure