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Glitter can be armour, but it can also be a welcome sign. We sit down with award-winning vintage cabaret performer, producer and self-expression coach Dawn Gracie to explore how a life of sequins, show tunes and quick wit became a force for community, inclusion and joyful ageing. Her route was anything but linear: a childhood spent glued to classic musicals, a karaoke machine that led to a band, and a Goodwood Revival win that opened the door to paid care home shows. From there, Dawn built a career hosting, teaching, and producing cabaret that puts connection above perfection.

We go deep on the craft of hosting as stewardship—reading the room, setting boundaries, keeping performers safe, and turning mishaps into magic. Dawn shares the moments she’ll never forget, from bra-on-the-light chaos to acts that bend reality with humour and heart. Along the way, we touch the roots of variety and vaudeville, the influence of icons like Madonna, and the way drag and burlesque have always made space for people to show up as themselves.

The heart of the conversation is community action. Dawn co-founded Chichester Pride and created Dicky Bows and Petticoats Club, a daytime cabaret for people 65+ designed to tackle isolation with tea, bingo, drag, and burlesque. Tins-for-tickets feed the local food bank; volunteers make it sing. We also face the realities of modern show business: sudden social media bans, rising censorship, and AI deepfakes. Dawn lays out practical strategies—websites, mailing lists, local partners, and kinder backstage practices—that keep artists visible and audiences cared for.

Expect candid lessons for performers and producers, a celebration of absurd brilliance alongside classic glamour, and a clear message: art is activism when it builds safety, laughter and belonging. If you care about cabaret, community and keeping stages open to everyone, press play, subscribe, and leave a review to help more people find the show. What story resonated with you most?

This episode is sponsored by our amazing lead sponsor Crystal Parade a one stop place for all your gorgeous crystals and sparkles for costumes and beyond.

 https://crystalparade.co.uk/

Our Second sponsor is the fabulous Lindsay McGlone your go to I.G expert 

https://lindsaymcglone.co.uk/

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🎙️ Behind Burlesque — Hosted by Isabella Bliss

Pulling back the curtain on life behind the glamour.

✨ Real stories. Raw courage. The sparkle beneath the spotlight.

🎧 New episodes every month — listen, subscribe, and leave a review.
🌐 Follow us on Instagram @behind_burlesque and @miss_isabella_bliss

📩 For partnerships & guest enquiries: [email protected]

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The room decides where the act goes—that’s the electric promise of cabaret. We sit down with performer, writer and director Alexander Lutley to map a journey from actor training and Madrid mime school to global stages, unpacking how a silent clown named Pi and a silver-tongued host named Mercury grew from the same creative core: authentic play with the audience.

We dig into what burlesque really is—la burla, satire, and liveness—and why the art doesn’t exist without the crowd. Alexander shares the out‑of‑body rush of letting a character ignore the rehearsal plan because the audience invites a different game. We talk about communication beyond language, touring with English in non‑English rooms, and how gesture, rhythm and eye contact make jokes and meaning travel. You’ll hear how acts are built from story, costume or music, and why pacing, tone and transitions turn a lineup into a true show. Expect candid talk on craft: weeks of research, design, and rehearsal hidden under “effortless” stage moments, plus the resilience required when tech is thin and the martini glass has to appear on cue.

Identity runs through the work without becoming a lecture. Alexander reflects on queerness as an inherent presence and on the politics of simply showing up as your real body. We explore why authenticity reads as sexy, how comedy and seduction coexist, and the practical ethics of performing for the audience that’s actually in front of you. For newcomers, there’s clear guidance: know your why, set boundaries, and build toward the experience you want—be it confidence, community, or a career that tours the world. Along the way, we celebrate collaboration, passing the baton between acts, and the simple, radical joy of letting the inner child lead.

If you love cabaret, burlesque, clowning, stagecraft or the artistry behind audience connection, this conversation will spark new ideas and maybe a little mischief. Listen, share it with a friend who needs creative courage, and if it resonated, subscribe and leave a review so more curious minds can find us.

This episode was sponsored by Crystal Parade - https://crystalparade.co.uk/

Support the show

🎙️ Behind Burlesque — Hosted by Isabella Bliss

Pulling back the curtain on life behind the glamour.

✨ Real stories. Raw courage. The sparkle beneath the spotlight.

🎧 New episodes every month — listen, subscribe, and leave a review.
🌐 Follow us on Instagram @behind_burlesque and @miss_isabella_bliss

📩 For partnerships & guest enquiries: [email protected]

Send us a text

What if a single dare changed your life? British burlesque legend Goodtime Mama Jojo takes us from a pewter-tankard tip jar to standing ovations, showing how a spontaneous first strip became five decades of stagecraft, sensuality, and radical self-belief. We dig into the real mechanics of tease—how stillness, breath, and timing electrify a room—and why burlesque and striptease belong together as sister arts rather than competing labels.

Jojo opens the scrapbook on London’s cabaret clubs, private members’ afternoons, and the 2000s resurgence that brought glamour back to the scene. She shares the origin of her London School of Striptease and London Academy of Burlesque, sparked by activist Tuppy Owens, and the teaching philosophy that made her a sought-after mentor: no clones, no cookie cutters, just bespoke coaching that amplifies each performer’s strengths. Along the way, we talk about polishing West End acts, coaching actors and models, and creating space for performers of all genders, sizes, ages, and abilities.

This conversation also faces the tough stuff: snobbery between genres, the erosion of sensuality in favour of acrobatics, and ageism that tries to sideline seasoned artists. Jojo counters with lived proof—legend honours, a roaring Hall of Fame crowd, and a now-iconic C-string escapade that turned near-chaos into triumph. Her closing message lands hard and hopeful: life might be one run, so do not live small. Choose what lights you up, own your body, and take the stage—whatever that stage looks like for you.

Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a confidence spark, and leave a review with the question you want us to ask the next burlesque icon.

Support the show

🎙️ Behind Burlesque — Hosted by Isabella Bliss

Pulling back the curtain on life behind the glamour.

✨ Real stories. Raw courage. The sparkle beneath the spotlight.

🎧 New episodes every month — listen, subscribe, and leave a review.
🌐 Follow us on Instagram @behind_burlesque and @miss_isabella_bliss

📩 For partnerships & guest enquiries: [email protected]

Send us a text

Episode 1: Jessabelle Thunder – Beyond the Glitter, Into the Truth of Burlesque

Glitter doesn’t tell the whole story.

In this very first episode of Behind Burlesque with Isabella Bliss, I sit down with Jessabelle Thunder — Miss Exotic World, Reigning Queen of Burlesque — to trace a path from a hesitant first class to global stages. Together we uncover the craft, courage, and community that make burlesque so much more than feathers and fishnets.

Jessabelle shares the truth behind the crown: why she never chased titles, how she learned audience connection as a deliberate skill, and what it really means to break the fourth wall and turn a room into a living conversation. Along the way, we talk perfectionism, resilience when the music cuts, and the art of delivering your best performance for this audience, today.

But this conversation also pulls apart the stereotypes. We dig into the good stuff:
✨ How burlesque negotiates with censorship.
✨ Why tassels are a historical hack.
✨ The way styles shift across the Atlantic — from LA’s gritty floorwork to the UK’s theatre-rooted satire.
✨ Why authenticity matters more than fitting into boxes — from choosing music that truly moves you to creating acts that honour your body and your story.

Jessabelle makes the case for representation as a source of power. When the lineup reflects real people — Black, queer, fat, disabled, trans — audiences don’t just clap; they feel seen. That recognition can be life-changing, even if you never step onstage yourself.

If you’re curious about burlesque, Jessabelle’s advice is simple: start small and bold at the same time. Go to more shows. Try a class. Let judgment give way to curiosity. Live performance is a practice of presence, and it has a way of softening self-talk, strengthening confidence, and reconnecting us to one another.

This is the perfect place to begin your journey behind burlesque. Whether you’re a seasoned fan, an aspiring performer, or simply someone looking for inspiration to show up more fully in your own life, Jessabelle’s wisdom will resonate far beyond the stage.

🎙️ Hit play now for Episode 1.
💫 Subscribe for more candid conversations with the artists who keep cabaret alive.
✨ Share this episode with a friend who needs a spark.
🌟 And if you enjoyed it, leave a review — it helps more listeners discover the show.

Support the show

🎙️ Behind Burlesque — Hosted by Isabella Bliss

Pulling back the curtain on life behind the glamour.

✨ Real stories. Raw courage. The sparkle beneath the spotlight.

🎧 New episodes every month — listen, subscribe, and leave a review.
🌐 Follow us on Instagram @behind_burlesque and @miss_isabella_bliss

📩 For partnerships & guest enquiries: [email protected]