Biography
''Twinkle Starr, as her name suggests, is both rising and sparkling on the burlesque club circuit. Cute, feminine and good fun - that’s the style of this petite performer who sings and dances her way through her quirky routines.” (Kittie Klaw, Ministry of Burlesque Talent Agency).
After five years training in mainstream theatre, Twinkle Starr decided to rebel and join the burlesque revolution. Twinkle Starr has been warmly welcomed since establishing her own inimitable style two years ago. With a penchant for the cute and quirky, she enjoys using parody and satirical elements to create entertaining and original acts. Her influences include music hall, Carry On films, cheesecake pinup art, Marvel comics and old Broadway musicals. An intriguing mix of innocence and naughtiness, this performer likes to play with contrasts and transformation. Described as ‘out of the ordinary’, ‘very funny’, ’superb’, and ‘a delight’, her training in acting, singing and dancing help her to put a smile on her audiences’ faces using tongue-in-cheek, gentle humour with a dash of sauciness! Credits include- London Fashion Week, A Night of Lamour with Gwendoline Lamour, Clapham or Bust (Time Out Critics Choice), You Little Minx (Time Out Critic’s Choice), Madame JoJos, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Lost Society, The Met Bar, The Crystal Club, Fashion TV, The Volupte Lounge.Lois Glasspool, 29, plans to help women boost their ‘va va voom’ with classes at the Source Bar in Nelson Street, Denton Holme. Starting on March 2, the cheeky curriculum will include vital lessons on wiggling, posing and glove removal. Under her expert guidance, she hopes even wallflowers will blossom into confident vixens.
Lois, of Harraby, said: “The main thing people know about burlesque is the striptease element, but it could equally be comic or a drag act. It’s strangely liberating – I see it as an inverted form of feminism, but it’s also a light-hearted way to have fun.”Her students will end up with a fully-formed routine and the chance to perform in a showcase at the Alley Cat Club in Carlisle. Since she started the monthly act at Spirit bar last September, the performer has been surprised at its popularity.
She added: “It’s making live entertainment accessible to people who can’t afford to see things like West End shows.”Her classes will feature beginners’ advice on elegant undressing, as well as basic moves like the shimmy and the burlesque walk.She also plans to help students create their own onstage character.“You can be a sultry vixen or a pin-up – a lot of it is about teaching people how to act,” she said.“If it all goes well I might start doing an intermediate course, because there’s just so much to learn.“There’s at least 20 ways to take your gloves off, for a start.”Lois got into burlesque while studying theatre at the Cumbria College of Art and Design. A fan of 1950s vintage fashions, she started searching for a performance style that would suit her personality.She said: “I was online when I came across a site called the Ministry of Burlesque – it totally connected with me so quickly. I just thought it was something I could do.”
Sessions cost £8 and will take place every Monday at The Source bar in Nelson Street, starting on March 2. For more information or to book a place, email Lois at alleycatclub@googlemail.com
Testimonials
'Exceptionally talented' Glen, 'Outrageous'
