Body-positive charity burlesque!

There are plenty of burlesque and cabaret nights to choose from in the capital, but the stages at many of them are often only filled with a certain type of woman. Not everyone is a toned size 10 and not everyone wants to be either, but some burlesque nights do still seem to be all about the male gaze. To me, burlesque isn't just about the glittertits. So, when I was asked to appear in in an event (as my burlesque alter-ego Miss Lolly Pops) where a bunch of girls would take their knickers off on stage for them to be auctioned for charity, I was rather skeptical. However, as it was being organised by some friends of mine (including the delectable Honey Schnapps, pictured), I decided to ask for more information. It turned out that Barelesque was devised for the female gaze and will be 100% body-positive to boot! There will be singing and dancing plus sexy people getting their kit off, and this sumptuous night of sin promises to be practically guilt-free too as it’s all for an extremely virtuous cause.

On 12th October, the Barelesque stage will feature a beautiful variety of female bodies - tall, short, petite, curvy, dark and pale - plus the night will include performances from a slam diva poet, male and female burlesque artists and even an opera singer! All this will take place under the watchful eye of Mat Fraser, MC of legendary shows at many famous venues including New York’s Slipper Room. As well as the performances, there will be a charity auction, where the audience will be able to bid for the underwear displayed by Barelesque's naughty lingerie models. There will be seven Deadly Sins to tempt you, and three Virtues to keep you sweet. All money raised - from ticket sales, the lingerie auction and also sales of Rubyyy Jones' famous cuntcakes - will go to the Albert Kennedy Trust. The Trust supports young LGBT people aged between 16 and 25 who are homeless or who live in a hostile environment. Many of the young people supported by the charity have been rejected by their families or bullied at school for coming out.

The seriously sexy performers, all of whom have donated their services for free to help Barelesque raise money for this good cause, include: Alison Brumfitt, a notorious performance poet and slam diva; Michelle Crozier, a decadent opera diva; British Heart, a legendary burlesque boy; Honey Schnapps, a badass burlesque girl; Rubyyy Jones, an award-winning erotic artist, writer and performer; and Barelesque's own very naughty lingerie models, who will be auctioning their underwear to the highest bidder. And, yes, I shall be there as one of Barelesque's three Virtues... Hope.

Barelesque will take place on Wednesday 12th October 2011 at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5HY. Tickets are £10 until 30th September and £12 thereafter, available from Ticketweb. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm.

Image of Honey Schnapps by The Hourglass, Avarice by Sarah Hepworth and Charity by Christopher Andreou.