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Photograph by Dusk Devi Vision |
I caught up with Deb for 5 quick questions...
What got you started in Burlesque?
I think I was born to be a little bit of a striptease exhibitionist. My mother use to tell me that anytime I had the chance I would have my clothes off and run around the front yard in the nip for all the neighbours to see. These days I do it with some class.
All jokes aside, I’ve always had a love for the glamour and glitz of the vintage era.
Back before I discovered the art of tease I had no confidence in myself. I had very low self-esteem and suffered really badly from social phobia.
Then I came across a page on ‘Myspace’ (yes the social media of the time before Facebook).
It was a page for Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque advertising classes in Canberra. I discussed with my very supportive partner about joining Miss Kitka’s classes and he said “go for it, I think it would be really good for you”. Little did he know after 5 years he’d be living with a Burlesque monster and a house full of glitter and feathers. We like to joke and call the glitter that has bombed our house ‘asbestos’ and he has ‘glitter lung’.
Burlesque has changed my life. It has given me so much confidence and the burlesque community gives me so much support. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, Cry and you never cry alone when you have so many burlesque beauties that have your back.
What is the strangest heckle you have ever heard at a burlesque gig?
All in all I’ve been very lucky that I’ve never had someone bad heckle me whilst on stage. I think they’re too afraid to mess with a mad Irish woman. Some guy once said to me when I was in full stage makeup “It’s hard to argue with a woman with makeup and lashes like that” He was trying to get into a show for free but unfortunately for him he met me at the door.
As for the worst heckle; once when I was a member of the audience, someone shouted “put it back on!” He was soon shot down with thousand death stares.
If you could perform in any city in the world, where would it be?
I would love to travel back home to Ireland and perform in the Dublin Burlesque Festival. I really don’t know anything about the Burlesque scene in my home country, but having had a good catholic Irish upbringing I really hope that Ireland isn’t as small minded and square as I remember it.
I’d really love to have my lovely Irish Ma see me on stage. She’d love it.
What got you started in Burlesque?
I think I was born to be a little bit of a striptease exhibitionist. My mother use to tell me that anytime I had the chance I would have my clothes off and run around the front yard in the nip for all the neighbours to see. These days I do it with some class.
All jokes aside, I’ve always had a love for the glamour and glitz of the vintage era.
Back before I discovered the art of tease I had no confidence in myself. I had very low self-esteem and suffered really badly from social phobia.
Then I came across a page on ‘Myspace’ (yes the social media of the time before Facebook).
It was a page for Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque advertising classes in Canberra. I discussed with my very supportive partner about joining Miss Kitka’s classes and he said “go for it, I think it would be really good for you”. Little did he know after 5 years he’d be living with a Burlesque monster and a house full of glitter and feathers. We like to joke and call the glitter that has bombed our house ‘asbestos’ and he has ‘glitter lung’.
Burlesque has changed my life. It has given me so much confidence and the burlesque community gives me so much support. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, Cry and you never cry alone when you have so many burlesque beauties that have your back.
What is the strangest heckle you have ever heard at a burlesque gig?
All in all I’ve been very lucky that I’ve never had someone bad heckle me whilst on stage. I think they’re too afraid to mess with a mad Irish woman. Some guy once said to me when I was in full stage makeup “It’s hard to argue with a woman with makeup and lashes like that” He was trying to get into a show for free but unfortunately for him he met me at the door.
As for the worst heckle; once when I was a member of the audience, someone shouted “put it back on!” He was soon shot down with thousand death stares.
If you could perform in any city in the world, where would it be?
I would love to travel back home to Ireland and perform in the Dublin Burlesque Festival. I really don’t know anything about the Burlesque scene in my home country, but having had a good catholic Irish upbringing I really hope that Ireland isn’t as small minded and square as I remember it.
I’d really love to have my lovely Irish Ma see me on stage. She’d love it.
Today’s Gal Friday is a performing dynamo, from classic to neo and back, with the twirliest tassels in Canberra the tasty but vicious DEB DELICIOUS!
Canberra Burlesque Diary caught up with Deb for 5 quick questions...
What got you started in Burlesque?
I think I was born to be a little bit of a striptease exhibitionist. My mother use to tell me that anytime I had the chance I would have my clothes off and run around the front yard in the nip for all the neighbours to see. These days I do it with some class.
All jokes aside, I’ve always had a love for the glamour and glitz of the vintage era.
Back before I discovered the art of tease I had no confidence in myself. I had very low self-esteem and suffered really badly from social phobia.
Then I came across a page on ‘Myspace’ (yes the social media of the time before Facebook).
It was a page for Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque advertising classes in Canberra. I discussed with my very supportive partner about joining Miss Kitka’s classes and he said “go for it, I think it would be really good for you”. Little did he know after 5 years he’d be living with a Burlesque monster and a house full of glitter and feathers. We like to joke and call the glitter that has bombed our house ‘asbestos’ and he has ‘glitter lung’.
Burlesque has changed my life. It has given me so much confidence and the burlesque community gives me so much support. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, Cry and you never cry alone when you have so many burlesque beauties that have your back.
What is the strangest heckle you have ever heard at a burlesque gig?
All in all I’ve been very lucky that I’ve never had someone bad heckle me whilst on stage. I think they’re too afraid to mess with a mad Irish woman. Some guy once said to me when I was in full stage makeup “It’s hard to argue with a woman with makeup and lashes like that” He was trying to get into a show for free but unfortunately for him he met me at the door.
As for the worst heckle; once when I was a member of the audience, someone shouted “put it back on!” He was soon shot down with thousand death stares.
If you could perform in any city in the world, where would it be?
I would love to travel back home to Ireland and perform in the Dublin Burlesque Festival. I really don’t know anything about the Burlesque scene in my home country, but having had a good catholic Irish upbringing I really hope that Ireland isn’t as small minded and square as I remember it.
I’d really love to have my lovely Irish Ma see me on stage. She’d love it.
Every showgirl has an emergency toolkit, what is in yours?
I don’t really have an emergency toolkit. I will always have my favourite pastie glue ‘Kryolan mastix’, or ‘who’d you rip a nipple off’ as I’d like to call it.
I always like to have just one glass of red before I go on stage and will always have a straw in my little burlesque tin so I don’t ruin my lippy. And somewhere hidden in my case is a wonderful postcard size photo of the amazing Jennie Lee. She is my tassel goddess. I know if I have her with me I’m less likely to pop a pastie.
What is your favourite thing about burlesque in Canberra?
Canberra’s burlesque scene is still an up and coming one. It is not as over saturated as Melbourne or Sydney. I find it quite surprising when I do a workshop or a hens party I will always ask my group of ladies and gents what they know about burlesque...If anything at all. It gives me an idea of what I’m working with and 8 out of 10 people have no knowledge about the art nor have ever been to a show before.
So as a burlesque performer in Canberra I love educating people of the true history of burlesque. I love the reaction I get when I perform as a lot of the members of the audience have never seen anything like it and 99% of the time their reaction is so positive. You will always have your haters and of course Canberra is made up of public servants that wouldn’t have a lot of exposure to the art. That said, I’m sure the Canberran burlesque community can broaden their minds and convert everyone. World domination I say!
Canberra Burlesque Diary caught up with Deb for 5 quick questions...
What got you started in Burlesque?
I think I was born to be a little bit of a striptease exhibitionist. My mother use to tell me that anytime I had the chance I would have my clothes off and run around the front yard in the nip for all the neighbours to see. These days I do it with some class.
All jokes aside, I’ve always had a love for the glamour and glitz of the vintage era.
Back before I discovered the art of tease I had no confidence in myself. I had very low self-esteem and suffered really badly from social phobia.
Then I came across a page on ‘Myspace’ (yes the social media of the time before Facebook).
It was a page for Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque advertising classes in Canberra. I discussed with my very supportive partner about joining Miss Kitka’s classes and he said “go for it, I think it would be really good for you”. Little did he know after 5 years he’d be living with a Burlesque monster and a house full of glitter and feathers. We like to joke and call the glitter that has bombed our house ‘asbestos’ and he has ‘glitter lung’.
Burlesque has changed my life. It has given me so much confidence and the burlesque community gives me so much support. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, Cry and you never cry alone when you have so many burlesque beauties that have your back.
What is the strangest heckle you have ever heard at a burlesque gig?
All in all I’ve been very lucky that I’ve never had someone bad heckle me whilst on stage. I think they’re too afraid to mess with a mad Irish woman. Some guy once said to me when I was in full stage makeup “It’s hard to argue with a woman with makeup and lashes like that” He was trying to get into a show for free but unfortunately for him he met me at the door.
As for the worst heckle; once when I was a member of the audience, someone shouted “put it back on!” He was soon shot down with thousand death stares.
If you could perform in any city in the world, where would it be?
I would love to travel back home to Ireland and perform in the Dublin Burlesque Festival. I really don’t know anything about the Burlesque scene in my home country, but having had a good catholic Irish upbringing I really hope that Ireland isn’t as small minded and square as I remember it.
I’d really love to have my lovely Irish Ma see me on stage. She’d love it.
Every showgirl has an emergency toolkit, what is in yours?
I don’t really have an emergency toolkit. I will always have my favourite pastie glue ‘Kryolan mastix’, or ‘who’d you rip a nipple off’ as I’d like to call it.
I always like to have just one glass of red before I go on stage and will always have a straw in my little burlesque tin so I don’t ruin my lippy. And somewhere hidden in my case is a wonderful postcard size photo of the amazing Jennie Lee. She is my tassel goddess. I know if I have her with me I’m less likely to pop a pastie.
What is your favourite thing about burlesque in Canberra?
Canberra’s burlesque scene is still an up and coming one. It is not as over saturated as Melbourne or Sydney. I find it quite surprising when I do a workshop or a hens party I will always ask my group of ladies and gents what they know about burlesque...If anything at all. It gives me an idea of what I’m working with and 8 out of 10 people have no knowledge about the art nor have ever been to a show before.
So as a burlesque performer in Canberra I love educating people of the true history of burlesque. I love the reaction I get when I perform as a lot of the members of the audience have never seen anything like it and 99% of the time their reaction is so positive. You will always have your haters and of course Canberra is made up of public servants that wouldn’t have a lot of exposure to the art. That said, I’m sure the Canberran burlesque community can broaden their minds and convert everyone. World domination I say!
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