High Tease at The Lowry Manchester Review
High Tease
at The Lowry, Manchester
Reviewed by Laura Parle
The latest production from the legendary Ministry of Burlesque reminds us that teasing does not always guarantee satisfaction but I will come back to this later. High Tease is the first variety show that I have been too and it appeared to be very nearly sold out, with cabaret tables bustling and an eager audience.
Coco Malone was the perfect host right from the start, setting the tone with her quick wit and charm, with just the right amount of innuendo. More than a host, a very enjoyable performer in her own right and she handled the evening and the odd heckler really well.
High Tease is a showcase for the art of burlesque, something I haven’t seen before but which was a real revelation and I will definitely seek out again. I thoroughly enjoyed the sophistication of the performances especially those that were part of the first Act. The spellbinding voice of Destiny Delight was truly amazing I literally broke out in goose bumps. Next up was the enchanting Vicki butterfly who teased to perfection, with great elegance and in some remarkable costumes with her classical burlesque performance. The last performance of the first act was a truly fantastic drag queen comedienne. She had everyone crying with laughter with her dark and edgy comic set.
Now the second act is where it started to fall apart. Coco came back on to rapturous applause and introduced the next performer and advised that it was going to be an incredibly exciting and dangerous performance. We were all on the edge of our seats. The next act came out and it immediately started to go downhill. The performance was a man pretending to be a god fearing preacher who wanted to perform with electricity. His jokes were offensive, it was badly timed, and even his dancer seemed bemused. I was ready to walk out and I wouldn’t have been alone as I counted 12 people that actually did. I have never been so glad for an act to finish.
Luckily the next act was a repeat performance from Vicki butterfly which was truly breath-taking she danced and performed around a giant crescent moon to spectacular effect this got the audience back on board. The last acts that followed were also repeat performances from the first part of the show.
All in all it was a great show but as initially mentioned all the teasing didn’t guarantee a great night. It is a shame that one dreadful performance marred my experience. Would I see High Tease again – possibly?
Rating: 3/5
For more information and tour dates visit www.ministryofburlesque.com
For more information about shows at The Lowry visit www.thelowry.com
