Review: HOUSE OF BURLESQUE: POLITITS, VAULT Festival

As mentioned in my review of You Shall Not Yass, I am new to the world of drag and burlesque but decided to see another show in order to learn more about the art forms (and because I loved the first show so much!). I chose to go with House of Burlesque: PoliTITS, as it had an interesting description claiming that it was "Inspired by the early comedic traditions of original Burlesque and inspired by Spitting Image, Have I got News for You and the Kit Kat Club."

House of Burlesque: PoliTITS is, to quote the host, Lolo Brow ("Better than Lolo Self-Esteem") about "Our two favourite things - Tits and the end of the world." The goal of the show is to celebrate the history of burlesque through the lens of news, but not all the news as, "We have an hour. We cannot cover everything." While they cannot cover everything, the House of Burlesque certainly covers many events, including a modern interpretation of Guy Fawkes protesting at Parliament, a rich British woman imitating Marie Antoinette in stating "let them burn money" when referring to the poor, and an incredible "Cell Block Tango" parody relating to the crimes of Boris Johnson, in which the performers dressed in lingerie while wearing paper masks of the politician.

There is a also delightful self-care act within the show, or as Lolo Brow likes to call it, "disassociation." Indeed, there was certainly a feeling of disassociation watching the performers dance in onesies, fuzzy costumes that one would not typically expect at this type of event. Along with the self-care act, Lolo Brow hosts moments of "good news respite," sharing stories that have brought some joy to the world instead of the usual horrible news we have to deal with all over social media.

But there is an emphasis on the fact that you cannot just focus on self-care. Lolo Brow gives a powerful monologue with standout quotes like "Nothing will change if we don't change" and "You gotta get back in the f-ing fight," encouraging the audience to take care of themselves but to also go out and fight for change in the world.

Unfortunately, due to sound issues in The Flair Ground (which is to be expected as it is a new venue), it was difficult at times to hear what was going on. I also missed quite a few of the references being made in the different acts, including one in which someone from Cardiff was dressed in gold but referencing lettuce and tomatoes throughout their performance and a clown in floral pants putting condiments on her face, but this was most likely because I am still getting accustomed to UK culture and have not caught up on recent news.

Luckily for me, there was an act by Gracie Disgrace that was specifically about the state of politics in America. I won't go into many spoilers, but it involves joots (jean boots), Team America: World Police, and a law in Texas stating that you cannot own more than six dildos.

Ultimately, House of Burlesque: PoliTITS is a great burlesque show with talented performers and fun concepts centered around the history of the art form and the news. Whether you're new to the world of burlesque or familiar with it, I would highly recommend visiting The Flair Ground at The Vaults to celebrate some history while also seeing hilarious (and sexy) takes on the news.

House of Burlesque: PoliTITS is playing at the VAULT Festival from 14 to 19 February at The Flair Ground at The Vaults.

Photo Credit: VAULT Festival

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