BY DAY 33-year-old Gemma is a support advisor for a food company - but by night she undergoes an empowering metamorphosis to thrill and entertain as Kitty De Vyne. That is the transformative power of burlesque, a cabaret art-form currently undergoing a renaissance in the UK that has perhaps eclipsed its heyday in the mid-19th century. And Kitty de Vyne has a host of shows lined up - including performances in Conwy and Chester.
Burlesque in the UK has a rich history and vibrant modern-day scene, blending elements of performance art, satire, striptease, comedy, and theatrical storytelling. Its evolution, from traditional roots to a modern-day revival, reflects changing social attitudes towards entertainment, gender, and sexuality. The popularity of burlesque having declined in the 20th century, the UK – and the rest of the world - experienced a burlesque revival in the early 2000s.
Kitty de Vyne at Buckley Ink 2024. Photo: Swilly's Photography This revival celebrated the theatrical, empowering, and often satirical aspects of burlesque, moving beyond the striptease to focus on body positivity, diversity, and inclusivity. Today, burlesque in the UK is a thriving subculture, the sassy sister act to drag.
Cities like Liverpool, Manchester, London, Doncaster, Edinburgh, and Brighton have become hotbeds for the genre, with performers coming from a range of backgrounds and identities. Many modern-day burlesque performers blend striptease with elements of cabaret, circus acts, drag p.