STAR WARS Burlesque EMPIRE STRIPS BACK to Launch Australia Tour in March

In a show like no other, The Empire Strips Back takes the classic characters from the beloved Star Wars film franchise and drops them into the world of Burlesque. After sell-out tours of the original production, Star Wars Burlesque, the producers are back to meet the audience demand with an even bigger and better production, The Empire Strips Back, touring Australia from Thursday, 13 March - Friday, 20 June 2014.

Empire Strips Back is designed to indulge audiences in a sci-fi fantasy of intergalactic proportions - George Lucas could never dream that his characters could be used in such a manner, guaranteed to get some hearts racing with The Force.

In 2011 Russall S. Beattie created the first run of Star Wars Burlesque in Australia. It was booked in a 150 capacity room, with the intention to run for 3 nights only. Those three nights sold out in record time, and the show has gone beyond all expectations. Since then it has travelled the country and has delighted audiences of over 20,000 people. Still the show was designed for a small stage, and feeling like they had never taken full advantage of a full theatre stage, nor realised the ideas that were just a pipe dream for the original show, the producers destroyed all the props and costumes in May 2013 and started rebuilding a new show from scratch: The Empire Strips Back: A Star Wars Burlesque Parody.

Empire Strips Back is firing on all cylinders to exceed the expectations from the previous production, with a full size remote controlled R2-D2 by the same people who worked on the Star Wars films and custom made character masks to bring to life characters that have only ever existed as puppets or CGI.

"We've taken everything up a notch, not just in scale but also in quality, everything is as close to the movie version universe as possible, from a full size R2-D2, casting a Han Solo in Carbonite, and having a 7 foot Wookiee," said Creative Director, Russall Beattie.

Why go to that much effort for a Burlesque show? It's important to the cast and crew that the show feels like an extension of the Star Wars universe, The Empire Strips Back taps into what makes these films special and stand the test of time, the sense of wonder - all with tongue firmly in cheek.

Bathurst Memorial Centre
Date & Time: Thursday 13 March 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $59
Bookings:
www.bmec.com.au or phone (02) 6333 6161

Canberra Theatre Centre
Date & Time: Friday 14 March 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $61.50
Bookings: www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au
or phone (02) 6275 2700

Mackay Entertainment Centre
Date & Time: Wednesday 2 April 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $59.50
Bookings: www.mackayecc.com.au or phone (07) 4961 9777

Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton
Date & Time: Thursday 3 April 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $59
Bookings:
www.pilbeamtheatre.com.au or phone (07) 4927 4111

Moncreiff Entertainment Centre, Bundaberg
Date & Time: Friday 4 April 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $58.50
Bookings:
www.moncrieff-bundaberg.com.au or phone (07) 4130 4100

Gold Coast Arts Centre
Date & Time: Saturday 5 April 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $60
Bookings:
www.theartscentregc.com.au or phone (07) 5588 4000

Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Date & Time: Friday 11 April 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $56.75
Bookings:
www.ticketek.com.au or phone (02) 4929 1977

Glasshouse Theatre, Port Macquarie
Date & Time: Saturday 12 April 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $57.50
Bookings:
www.glasshouse.org.au or phone (02) 6581 8888

Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Date & Time: Friday 9 May 2014, 9:30pm
Tickets: Adult $59
Bookings:
www.enmoretheatre.com.au or phone (02) 9550 3666

Regal Theatre, Perth
Date & Time: Friday 30 May to Saturday 31 May 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $60
Bookings:
www.ticketek.com.au or phone (02) 9388 2066

Albury Entertainment Centre
Date & Time: Thursday 19 June 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $58.80
Bookings:
www.alburycity.nsw.gov.au or phone (02) 6051 3030

Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Date & Time: Friday 20 June 2014, 8pm
Tickets: Adult $60.50
Bookings:
www.palaistheatre.net.au or phone (03) 9525 3240

Disclaimer: This is a parody production. Star Wars and its characters are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd or Lucasfilm Ltd. This production is not sponsored, endorsed by or affiliated with Disney, Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd, Lucasfilm Ltd or any of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies and/or third party licensors.