Kittie is a guest on BBC4’s Rude Britannia - an exploration of Britain’s bawdy satirical past. She talks about Victorian burlesque, Lydia Thompson and the society of it’s time as well as making appearances in tribute to Lydia as the ‘Sailor boy’ and also as her own characterisation of the figure of Britannia. Kittie appears in episodes two and three on 15th and 16th respectively.
9pm BBC4 14th/15th and 16th June. Repeats available.
An historical overview of the development of Burlesque.
This essay is an attempt to provide a brief overview of the main names and events in the history of this misunderstood craft, as it changed from Ancient Athens to modern day… I will be updating it as I uncover more information. There are so many heroes, stars and writers of the burlesque genre I shall have to list them all in another document (as this is already rather lengthy), but significant people are named here.
Where to start? What is Burlesque?
The term ‘Burlesque’ literally means “to imitate, parody or send up”. This meaning hasn’t changed - it’s also a verb, an adjective and a noun 
In essence, burlesque is best described as ‘provocative performance art’. As an entertainment form it has existed as poetry, verse, theatrical comedy - and more recently as ‘adult’ entertainment and also as an ‘underground’ scene for amateur enthusiasts too. It has been subject to much cultural reinterpretation across centuries and continents and has reached various zeniths of zeal across thousands of years featuring a galaxy of stars in it’s unceasing expansion. It’s even evolving a new system of cross-cultural styles today. The history of burlesque itself, reads like a series of biographies of unlikely heroes and heroines, littered with triumphs over adversity, pioneering pursuits, derring-do(n’t) - and tragic tales.
Burlesque today has developed in to a wide genre with many styles (or forms) within it - just as Dance is a wide genre with many comparative and conflicting styles on offer, catering for different tastes and disciplines from classical to contemporary… so to is burlesque. Many of the burlesque forms are distinctly different from one another - and woe betide the booker who doesn’t realise.
Some acts involve song, some dance, some speech, some strip off, some don’t, some involve fire, props, giant props, circus tricks, multi media, illusions and some involve a combination - or more. Some are solo, others duo, trio or troupe. Some are a few minutes in length others are a 90 minute production complete with flying space tigers in grass skirts (well, there might be…). From ancient lewd poems about incontinent Greek gods and mighty Spartan armies to faux-aristocratic ditties about Eton in 1930s, from elaborate debt riddled theatre productions and the catchy tunes of Gilbert & Sullivan to ‘leg shows’ in men only bars - burlesque has had many faces (and not all of them pretty, G&S aside). However… read more….
“The Star of British Burlesque” Kittie lent her knowledge to Ориенталь (Oriental) magazine as they provide a history of burlesque and the story of Ministry of Burlesque to the prestigious Russian dance world.
The piece features images of Kittie in action by Tas Kyprianou and an article by Nadia Gativa.
Based on the years of answering popular questions as the Ministry of Burlesque matriarch, Kittie has compiled carefully considered retorts to those tricky and frequently asked questions of modern burlesque, new performers and the ever curious press.
FAQ such as:
or, Tickle My Fancy ! - A Guide To Classical or ‘Traditional British’ Burlesque
Amidst the renaissance of the showgirl-striptease, the art of traditional (known as ‘classical’) burlesquing is in danger of becoming totally removed from it’s own genre. This article is an attempt to draw attention away (just for a moment) from the fleeting frenzy of all things frilly, unravel the misconceptions and cast a spotlight upon the magnificence of what classical burlesquing really was – and still is.
Firstly, it must be understood that there is a problem with the ‘b word’ itself. It is an adjective, a verb and a noun – a name for many faces. The meaning is diverse and it morphs according to where you are in the world, the context in which you happen across it and the angle from which you glimpse it.
or ‘Tinted, Tainted & Tarnished - A Portrait Of ‘Golden Era’ Burlesque
A collaborative piece by Kittie and Gypsy Charms with input from Vicky Butterfly.
Since their emergence in the early 20th century, American burlesque shows have specifically promoted adult-oriented entertainment. In many respects, the early promoters even pioneered the genres within the striptease and burlesque-striptease (as a hybrid comic form). To Americans, such shows would become known generically as burlesque. read more….
Kittie talks about burlesque for the MoB Academy ‘Burlesque for Beginners’ DVD.