Review: THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK: A BURLESQUE PARODY, Riverside Studios

Strange as it may seem, there was a time when there were such people as burlesque critics. I should know: I was one.

When I wasn't reviewing shows around London, I was jet-setting off to Milan, Brighton or Hebden Bridge to help judge festival contests there. At some point, the burlesque community were kind enough to vote for me as one of the best burlesque writers in the world. Now I feel like I’m the last of a dying breed - but one who sees a new hope for the future of this art form.

And, talking of a new hope, The Empire Strips Back has docked at Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios. With over two hours of themed fun based on the original Star Wars film trilogy, it bills itself tautologically as “a burlesque parody” (the word burlesque comes from the Italian burla meaning a joke or ridicule). 

It opened on the same weekend as the Hebden Bridge Burlesque Festival, an event which has been going for over a decade and has become something of an international stripper mecca, attracting fans, fan dancers and other performers from around the globe. When it first started in 2012, though, the local response in the quaint town dubbed by the BBC as “the lesbian capital” of the UK wasn’t entirely positive. 

Disgruntled residents put up signs with phrases like “posh stripping” and “novice strippers practicing”. It wasn’t long before this tactic backfired: fans responded with signs of their own and Radio 2 and the national press were inviting co-producers Lady Wildflower and Heidi Bang Tidy to air their side of the story. Having survived the pandemic, the shining jewel of a festival returned this year with a collection of acts from around the globe including UK, Australia and the US.

While that corner of West Yorkshire continues to raise the flag, the cabaret scene in London is a far stretch from its 2010s heyday. Madame Jojo’s, the Udderbelly Festival on the Southbank and the Hippodrome Casino’s Matcham Room (now the home of Magic Mike) have all shuffled off stage right. Proud Cabaret has shut its Camden and Victoria Embankment venues. Even Las Vegas’ acclaimed Burlesque Hall Of Fame is feeling the impact of President Trump.

There are signs that this things are turning around. Soho Theatre is still awash with world-class talent like Puddles Pity Party, Salty Brine, Doctor Brown and (from this week) Meow Meow but, just down the road, the programme at Underbelly Boulevard Soho is maturing nicely too with its mix of renowned magicians including ex-Dynamo Steven Frayne and American card maestro Asi Wind and award-winning immersive circus care of Sophie’s Surprise 29th. 

There’s good news too for Boulevard’s neighbour Madame Jojo’s which will be re-opening soon under new management. Following on from their critically-acclaimed Limbo and Cantina, Australian company Strut & Fret have returned to this side of the world with the scintillating Sabrage while Cirque du Soleil’s will soon be setting up shop along Shaftesbury Avenue in what was the old Saville Theatre. The grand diva herself Dita Von Teese takes over Proud’s Victoria Embankment site for her “immersive dining” venture Diamonds and Dust.

Russall S Beattie’ Empire Strips Back (directed in London by Bec Morris) started off in a Sydney bar before going across the rest of the country and then taking on the US where events like this with a built-in fandom are more common. New York’s Hotsy Totsy Burlesque are a prime example: this year, they will be paying tribute to Star Trek, Stranger Things and Peanuts. London has its own variety versions in the ever-changing Cabaret Roulette and the David Lynch-themed Double R Club.

Every burlesque show worth its name needs a compere and Pete does a superb job of keeping the audience simultaneously under control and always revved up for the next act. He fumbles a weak sketch about “teledildonics” (I’ll leave that to your imagination) but otherwise puts in a sterling stint across the night. He asks us not to reveal too much about what happens in the show itself which is about right - the twists are as much part of this show’s appeal as anything else.

This is an extravaganza that takes us all over a galaxy far, far away and posits all kinds of tantalising scenarios. In one, Leia entrusts her trusty droid with a message for Obi Wan Kenobi but only after sexily dancing all around and over him (if those upper sensors could talk…). It in turn responds to this display in true stripclub fashion, spraying dollar bills all over the stage like a crazed ATM.

Later on, the princess returns dressed only in chains and her iconic bikini alongside a rapping Jabba The Hutt. Then there’s Boba Fett - rocketpack and all - showing us exactly why they’re the greatest booty hunter around. Han Solo is so happy to escape his carbonite prison that he rips off his clothing to (what else?) Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”. After some expert moonwalking from the smuggler, Greedo makes a sudden appearance. No prizes for guessing who shoots first. 

This being neo-burlesque (as opposed to the glamour or cheesecake variety), there are no lingering glove peels or fluttering isis wings. Instead, the core concept and choreography from James Barry and Lisa Toyer are merged, for example when the Imperial Guards in stunning red outfits wave their cloaks around like fans before disrobing. Even if the dance routines are a tad tame and predictable by modern burlesque standards, the production values more than make up for this with eye-catching sets, detailed costumes and designer Peter Rubie’s exquisite use of spotlights.

Is London ready for a cabaret revolution? With shows like The Empire Strips Back in town, we have a good feeling about this.

The Empire Strips Back continues at Riverside Studios until 17 August.