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.
Kittie will be appearing at the London On Film event set for 19th June where an evening of Victorian cinema is shown in the Lexi cinema as part of the Mayor’s ‘Story Of London Festival’. Kittie and double act cohort Jim Devereaux will be performing as Toff & Tales in their infamous routine ‘The Piccadilly Prowler’ alongside High Tease veteran Vicky Butterfly.
London On Film Festival will take place at the not-for-profit Lexi Cinema in Kensal Rise, NW10. This festival focuses on celebrating cinema depicting London and will take place from the 16th-21st June 2009 with each day having a specific theme. Friday 19th is our ‘When? London Through the Ages’ day which will explore London from a historical perspective. Showing 90mins of silent BFI Archive footage with a newly-commisioned score and post screening BFI talk. read more….
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:
It is with pleasure that we announce that this this month (29th March) Kittie will be appearing in aid of the Britannia Panopticon Trust, in the guise of her infamous Red, White & Thoroughly Blue ‘Britannia’. The Britannia Panopticon is the UK’s oldest surviving Victorian Music Hall and it is fully intact! The restoration projects is a very worthy cause overseen by the Trust.
There is to be an incredible dinner and showcase at Glasgow’s gorgeous Oran Mor in aid of the Trust. As well as a raffle and a burlesque/cabaret show there is a Celebrity Music Hall Show Starring Tony Roper, Johnnie Beattie, Maureen Beattie, Derek Munn & Jimmy McWilliams. read more….
Kittie co-writes and presents for the 2nd episode of ‘My Alter Ego’ on BBC Radio 4.
‘My Alter Ego’ is a brand new five part series where leaders in a particular field, discuss what life would have been like had they been on a similar life-voyage in another era. In the second episode, Kittie talks of life as a performer/entrepreneur examining the exciting history and parallels of her heroine, Eliza Vestris - the 19th century burlesque star/manageress who broke the mould of her day. read more….
A celebration of the traditional variety show, delivered with 21st century sass and sophistication. With award-winning international performers, the sultriest of sirens, the daring antics of glamorous showgirls and the edgiest comic cabaret masters, High Tease is in a class of its own. read more….
Kittie will be in attendance in the University of Westminster on both days of the forthcoming Unconvention - hosted by The Fortean Times. Here, she will also unleash a new work as the concluding item on Sunday’s agenda.
The latest installment of critically acclaimed Victorian Values (a series of classical burlesques) will be ‘unveiled’ on Sunday 2nd November. Devised by Kittie, written by Lord Dashwood and performed by a stunning array of Ministry of Burlesque supremos, prepare to witness the ‘Cabinet of Death’. read more….
Kittie and her Ministry of Burlesque cohorts are featured in the current issue of Bizarre and also on the fancy pull-out gatefold cover.
This issue is to celebrate the forthcoming Bizarre Ball set ofr 10th October at The Coronet Theatre. Set to perform in her double act with the fabulous Mr. Jim Devereaux (together they are ‘Toff & Tales’) the duo will perform their notorious bum-ruffling Music Hall routine, ‘The Piccadilly Prowler’. read more….
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.
Interviewed by Matt Salusbury last year, the current edition of Fortean Times features a fascinating article on ‘London’s Burlesque Queen’ Kittie.
Get a copy today to read up on her darker, spookie side. Before becoming an international burlesque star, Kittie was well known for her expertise in the paranormal - It’s totally true! Having been an official paranormal investigator for private investigations, a lab research student, a consultant to the BBC and as a graduate of the renowned Koestler Parapsychology Unit of Edinburgh University, Kittie might just surprise you a little more than usual this month. After a life time of ‘unusual experiences’, Kittie makes for a rather unusual pinup icon - one who evokes the avant-garde in both art and science. read more….