Thread: I'm starting a burlesque night in Reading. Any advice on how to go about it?

Hey All You Sexy Folks

The Hot Muffins Burlesque Cabaret at The Oakford Social Club is no longer continuing and therefore will be leaving a large audience of burlesque lovers aching for their next hit. I am therefore looking at stepping in and as a relative new comer to the burlesque scene I'm seeking advice from all you cabaret veterans!! I'm not looking at doing this to make a living from it but make something I can bring together myself and make a success and to bring this intoxicating art form to a wide audience. General advice would be great. In particular I where the best places to scout for performers are and how much I could be looking at paying for a performer to attend.

All advice is welcome!!


Chris aka Rufio

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Go to as many other nights as you can, maybe even stage hand at some, so you can really see how a burlesque night is run.

There are things you need to make sure you have...an experienced compere, an experienced DJ, a stage hand/maid or two, door staff to take money on the door. A running list that is stuck to pretty much down to the minute. A well lit changing area. If the changing area is not adjacent to the stage then you'll probably need an escort to bring the dancers through the crowd.

You also need excellent communication between staff and dancers.

http://www.ministryofburlesque.com/b...rates-pay.html
That thread gives a good idea of the rates of pay for dancers.

Hi hun,
I would say perhaps start off by putting on an event with a small-ish line up of high quality performers. It's tempting to want a big line up but if you start with less performers you will have less people to worry about and also it means you can spend your budget on quality rather than quantitiy. Later on you can make changes but there's no point making it difficult for yourself at the start!

I would say (Never had my own night but was a resident in a troupe for about 18 months and saw very closely the way it was done there) it is important to identify your niche (although this may be something that may change long term). Do you want to be a boutique night that hosts small but perfectly formed events, using the top names in the UK scene in a beautiful venue to a select handful of burlesque afficionados? Do you want to be a newbie showcase with maybe one or two solid headliners in a come-as-you-are sort of venue for a modest ticket price? Do you want your show to be about promoting local talent? Do you want to try and lure international performers onto your stage? Do you want a gimmick or angle a la 'Red Rocks' (all Red Headed performers) or 'Oh My God I Miss You' (various themes including Birthday Party and Voodoo)? Do you want it to be a cheap and cheerful weekly revue or a huge extravaganza that runs once every six months? Do you want to focus just on burlesque or do you want to include comedy, song, mime, skits, circus, aerial or other stuff to make it more of a cabaret? Do you want to include a band (in my opinion this is a minefield because unless you are very savvy you will end up with a split audience - half having a great time when the burlesque is on and just tolerating the band and the other half doing the opposite)?

By working out an idea of what sort of night you want to make you can tailor the choice of venue (although obviously this has other limitations), the cast you choose, what your flyers, website and other promo material should look like, how much you charge for tickets etc. Having a strong idea in mind of exactly the sort of thing you want to do will help you succeed - a lot of promotors (and new performers) come into burlesque thinking it is just one thing and that there is only one way to do it but different nights have their own feel and target market, and some work better than others at achieving their goals.

Another suggestion would be ask performers to email you with some details so that you can make a database of people who are interested to work with you. Ask them their location, what they would normally charge (including travel etc), whether they need a bed for the night, how long they have been working, links to videos of their acts/showreel and whatever else you want to know. If you keep all the potential performers in a database you will have a better idea of who is available to you and who you have already booked as time goes on.

As Alley Katte said the most important thing is to go to shows, see how they are run and watch as much burlesque as possible. Get a feel for what is well received and what isn't. Look at how good shows organise their running order, watch where they have breaks and intervals and for how long and see whether the audience get bored or feel rushed (a certain show I have been to several times over the years has a band slot that is so long that even the non-smokers end up escaping to the smoking area out of sheer boredom).

Anyway, sorry for such a long post but it's great to see someone starting a new night and taking it seriously as you seem to be doing. Best of luck with it!

X
Emerald

Hi, It's great to hear about new shows being put together. I totally agree with all comments above. I'm a burlesque performer married to a promoter so have experienced both sides of a show. I would say your team (stage manager, stage hands, maid, door wench/man) are crucial to the success of the show on the night. Without a well organised team the whole thing can pretty quickly become a stressful shambles, but with a good team the whole thing runs like clockwork. Good luck.

Hi Rufio,

I have been a regular to the great Hot Muffins night and was very disappointed to hear it was to be no more....

I think it would be a terrible shame to not continue and as a local Reading girl I am very pleased to hear that you are thinking of keeping the Burlesque going!

I have been a follower and partaker in the Burlesques scene for a couple of years and would love to help if I can...

Although it's being looked at from a different angle, I think you could make use of a lot of advice in this thread - http://www.ministryofburlesque.com/b...now-again.html

I organise and publicise events for a living in my day job but have never put on a burlesque night. There are some things that hold true no matter what the event (as noted in the above thread), but Ally is right, there are also loads more considerations when putting on a show. I used to be involved in amateur theatre and when you first get into it, it can be shocking how many things/people/professionals you need to have. And this needs to be kept in mind from the very beginning - for example, when chosing a venue you need to think about just the basics of stage size, dressing rooms, lighting... is the lighting just a case of flipping a switch or two, or do you need a professional to get involved? And of course every person involved means another person to pay. I know you've said you're not in it to make money, but at least try to ensure you don't make a huge loss out of your own pocket.

At the end of the day, making money from the event (even if known of it goes to you) is the only way to make it sustainable. Making money means more to put into the next show!

Good luck with it!!

Hey Allie Katte

Your reply was very helpful especially the link on 'rates of pay' and has helped me to start working towards what sort of budget I intend to have for the night.


Emerald Ace!

I welcome you long post! My brain physicall hurts from the information overload tho. haha! I love the idea of having themed nights and would be something I would love to incorporate into the nights. You have also given me plenty of food for thought on what sort of night I want to run eg. bi-monthly vs bi-yearly. I do want to keep it mainly burlesque but people with special skills such as poi spinning or other such talents would be great to incorporate into the show but maybe after I organised a show or two. After what you and Ally Katte have suggested I will try to attend some more shows before I fully put on my night and try to get in contact with the organisers to see if I could help out on one such night and get any suggestions from them.


Dear Vivicadevine.

Thanks for your reply and giving me the titles of the crucial people I will need in my team. I do believe strongly in the importance of being well organised. The last thing I want it for a panic on show night!


My Dearest Tiger Tiger

I intend to make sure I don't lose too much money and intend to at least break even, after all I would love to make this an on going event. I'm hoping that once I've put on a few shows and that they are successful people won't mind paying a little bit more so that I can book professional acts but not neglecting the new comers spots. I hoping this will pay off and keep people coming

Hey there! This is a great idea and although I currently live in the Midlands i'm from Reading and if I think of a suitable venue, I will let you know xxx

that'd be awesome Felicia Noir. I'm hoping to hold it at The Oakford Social Club as Hot Muffins Burlesque was being held there but Beatrix Von Bourbon is no longer going to be doing it so hopefully I can continue the burlesque presence in Reading there

Hi there, Im local to Reading and its great that your thinking of carrying this on. Im also a part of a new alternative burlesque group so do feel free to keep us in mind if we fit the bill when your organised.

Regards
3G