Reflections after a Busy Week

This past week has been jam packed for me, but it has really showed how varied the life of a showgirl really is. 

I have jumped from a speakeasy style magicians' bar, to a wholesome charity show, to a private dinner party in West London.

In Liverpool, I was part of two magic shows at a specialist magician's bar on Seel Street. The Oracle's Variety Show is always a genuine delight to do, because the team there are genuine specialists in live entertainment. They craft their scripts, reveals and delivery to perfection and audiences are always enraptured. It's a fun similarity with burlesque, because just as a new item of clothing comes off, or magic trick is revealed, the best part is the build up of anticipation. 

The magicians there also care so much about WHY they do what they do. There is always a meaning or a powerful message behind each act. Whether that's about appreciating your loved ones, pursuing your dreams or following the people who inspire you. I won't say any more.

Between The Oracle's Variety Shows, I was part of the most wholesome charity night with North West Burlesque. We raised almost £1000 for Changing Tides Row, which is a real mission by two Royal Marine veterans, Sean Phelps and Jon Towers. In January 2026, they'll row 3,200 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Lanzarote to Antigua to raise funds for two charities - Care after Combat, which helps British veterans and their families, and The Samaritans.

I genuinely left feeling my spirits uplifted, thinking 'this is the kind of things I want to be doing'. The venue was set up with stalls by local sellers, the stage was hand built by the producers, it was run by a group of people who were family and friends. They gave us goody bags with gifts, arranged photoshoots for us and made merch - all by craftspeople, local businesses and photographers who also gave their work for free for charity. The cabaret circuit can be brutal, cliquey and full of people who don't want to pay you properly or have any transparency. But charity shows like this come from the heart.

The whole event was genuinely so fun. We all modelled hats from Big Gay Hats, we did the hand jive, a group line dance and just had such a fun time. North West Burlesque Group also supports new performers and has an incredibly uplifting and empowering vibe to them. 

Then I ended with a private booking at a home in West London during a dinner party. After receiving the most lovely message through my website, I was booked for a fan dance at home. My usual fan set is to two Bobby Darin songs, which have a vibrant Big Band feel, but I wanted to round out the performance with a start, middle and end. I added A Taste of Honey by Lionel Hampton as the opening, and started with a long robe over my costume. I took this off and went to my starting position inside my fans. I did my usual act, then added some extra out of costume to Slow by André Hossein. One of the guests was very kind and helped me move some furniture and pack up afterwards. Even though the booking was a surprise for all of the guests, it turns out she knew about traditional fan dancing from the 1920s, so we had a nice chat about Sally Rand. Genuinely the perfect gig.

But from an intimate magicians bar, to a family built stage at a charity show, to a private dinner party in West London, it's been a week of real variety.