AustLit

'The Burlesque Hour, created by Moira Finucane and Jackie Smith, brings together a diverse range of Australian and international performers, who employ a variety of di!erent performance styles yet share an interest in exploring issues of sexuality and gender and in utilising what Finucane describes as a 'burlesque sensibility'. The Burlesque Hour is one of Australia's most popular, successful and critically acclaimed burlesque shows. It has performed nationally and internationally since 2004 and at the time of writing is touring Australia under the title 'Caravan Burlesque'. While the majority of vignettes that make up the show originated in small clubs and avant-garde theatre venues, The Burlesque Hour has propelled them into visibility, leading small-scale, experimental works to be seen by over 90,000 spectators worldwide.3 The performance is immensely entertaining and pleasurable and also frequently provocative, confronting and challenging. It occupies an interesting position within contemporary burlesque in that it departs from the 'tassels and tease' style of much new burlesque and maintains a decidedly subversive agenda.' (Publication abstract)