Month of May

Oh it's been ages since I last posted: I'm getting really rubbish at this blog malarkey aren't I? And I used to be so good!

Well this month I have performed at a private party for a lovely lady - I got to sing in a gorgeous venue with a stellar cast and a free champagne and cocktail bar (perfect!)

The Cabaret Marquee

Singing: I think this was 'Son of a Preacher Man'... maybe...

It was such an honour to perform alongside a completely wonderful cast, and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Our backstage barn! With Missy Malone, Carrie Ann, Kittie Klaw, Dusty Limits, Vicky Butterfly and Mat Ricardo

The following week I was back with The Burlesque Show in Weston-Super-Mare: I didn't get many pictures, but the show was fantastic and the audience were wonderful and welcoming.

Signed performer photos adorning the walls of the Green Room

This weekend I performed for the first time at the gorgeous Privee in Knightsbridge, where I entertained the audience with a couple of cheeky songs. It is a beautiful venue and I was made to feel so welcome - hopefully my first visit of many!

Then on Saturday I headed up to Birmingham for one of my favourite little shows, Dr. Sketchy's: I went prepared this time with paper and drawing materials to do some sketching (as the name implies!) and had a lovely time, especially since Frankie Lynn was both performing and exhibiting wares from her Emporium, and I haven't seen this beautiful lady for far too long!

With Frankie Lynn

The Victoria in Birmingham is filled with weird and wonderful pieces of art like this

My doodles of the day: Frankie Lynn and Mysti Vine

In other news: several months ago I had a photoshoot for The Noise Next Door, and this is the finished result!

The Noise Next Door poster

The poster is for their Edinburgh Fringe show and it promises to be a fabulous one, so if you are planning on popping up to the Fringe this year, make time to go and see it!

And finally: this happened:

 

Back to Brunette

I've back to my natural brunette! This was for a variety of reasons: the upkeep on blonde was a nightmare - I'd only ever get about a week of it looking lush before prickles of roots began to come through and I'd have to endure several weeks of looking like a badger before I could redo them. Also, the bleach was ruining my hair - when I began dying it blonde my hair was around shoulder length and over the last year I've had to go shorter and shorter as the dye made my hair brittle and breakable.

I will admit I do miss being blonde - it took me so long to get it to the colour I wanted it, and I had planned to keep it that way for as long as possible, but this way, hopefully, I'll be able to let it grow and get healthy again.

And here's what I was up to this time last year: fun fun!

xx

Here, There and Back Again

This week has been such a whirlwind of activity and I think I've come down with a little bit of a cold as a result of it all!
On Tuesday I popped to London for the second Big Burlesque Night Out - it was lovely to catch up with old friends, and meet some new ones too! We danced at The Arts Theatre in Soho, drank cocktails out of teapots and I also vaguely remember being in a rickshaw through Trafalgar Square. Glorious... and messy...

With Taz, Coco DuBois and Ruby Deshabille ** With Vienna Green

 

With Glorian Gray ** With Coco DuBois

The next morning, taking advantage of the gorgeous weather, I was taken on a magical mystery tour of London, ending with a lovely meal beside the River Wandle and a wander around Deen City Farm where all the baby animals were out in force!!

Cutest little piglet!

The rest of the week was taken up with my latest obsession: I am dramatically pimping out several of my costumes: even though 'Sugar' is a brand new act, the dress was not up to the rigours of performing on stage several nights a week and was already starting to fall apart, so I have changed and improved the dress. I also put the finishing touches to my new 'Peacock Dance' costume which is one of my oldest acts and is onto its fourth incarnation!
I still want to work on the costumes for 'Shake It' and 'Broadway Belle' but they will probably take another week or so of solid sewing...

New costumes for 'Sugar' and 'Peacock Dance'

On Friday - it being the last Friday of the month - I travelled to Bath for High Tease. Although this time I wasn't performing, but stage managing! I get more nervous for kittening than I do performing: if I mess up during my act, it's only really me who knows, but if I mess up kittening, then I've messed up someone else's act! However, I got my head in the game and both the sound check and the show went off without a hitch! Go me!
Fortunately the line-up was incredible: Dusty Limits hosting (and giving a shout-out to his sponsors!) with performances from the unbelievably sexy Luna Rosa (who had to dash off after her second act to catch a flight to Stockholm! How glamorous!), Tricity Vouge - who I'd heard so much about but had never actually seen before Friday, and she had me in stitches! - the whirlwind of energy that is Peggy de Lune, my darling Coco Malone and the gorgeous Sherry Trifle, who I haven't seen for ages!!

In fact, the last time I saw Sherry was at Dr. Sketchy's in Birmingham, which was where I was heading to on Saturday! The shows theme was 'Spring has Sprung' and even the weather was getting in on the act with tropical temperatures and scorching sunlight!
The audience was small but appreciative: the show was hosted by the resident chanteuse Liberty Pink and I was sharing the bill with Shirley Windmill - who performed her hysterical 'marrow' act, and Velma von Bon Bon - who I've seen perform before but had never shared a bill with before this weekend!
Because of the way Sketchy's is run, I actually got chance to sit down and do a little doodling myself after watching Velma's act!

Velma von Bon Bon - by me!!

My 'Cottingley Fairy' by Pip 'Astro' Bayley

I'm happy to be back home with my cats and the kittens (who are beginning to get a lot braver and more adventurous - they'll be all over the place and into everything shortly!) as the week of hot weather and travelling has tired me out.

I'm not so happy that I forgot to take pictures at either of the shows this weekend, so to make it up to you, here are some more pictures of the kittens. Enjoy!

 

**Things I Love This Month**

**Kittens!!**Berry Smoothies**Shantaram**Sunshine**Caramelised Onion Hummus**Cocktails in Teapots**Glitter**

Why not read about the last (and first) time Shirley Windmill and I performed together: here... or some other adventures this month here...

xx