Temple of Tease

The Legend of the Last Saloon is a chance to witness all that burlesque can be: playful, funny, vulnerable and a little unruly.

Through song, dance, storytelling and live music, the performance unfolds as a vivid theatrical experience.

Beneath the spectacle, however, lies something more intimate. Each character carries a story: a desire, a fear, a loss or a secret.

As Oscar Wilde said, “Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” Perhaps that is what burlesque does so beautifully. Performers put on the costume, step into character and somehow become more honest. The form makes room for discomfort alongside joy, because it is this contrast that makes something truly relatable.

The production showcases an incredible local cast performing original acts and celebrating the extraordinary talent found throughout the valley. With two sell-out shows already behind them, Temple of Tease has been buoyed by tremendous local support.

At Temple of Tease, Artistic Director Rebekah explores Burlesque concepts of contradiction: confidence and vulnerability, humour and sensuality, fantasy and truth, bringing them to the community through a variety of projects, including one-on-one sessions, classes, workshops, intensives and productions.

For Rebekah, the space to create and celebrate story is at the forefront of her vision, and many of her programs are designed to explore what the art of burlesque can unlock beyond the stage.

Rebekah has been a dancer her whole life, but for her, burlesque is more of an embodiment practice than a dance form — a way to reconnect to the body and celebrate your individuality. Rebekah discovered burlesque at a time when she was shifting her dance practice towards the study of somatic movement and becoming more curious and compassionate towards herself. Burlesque became a natural extension of that study and a joyful pathway towards greater self-acceptance. It offered a rich and diverse community of mentors and a platform from which to share her creative ideas.

For Rebekah, somatic movement and burlesque are deeply intertwined, and that journey remains at the heart of how she teaches and produces burlesque today.

At Bellingen Memorial Hall, this latest production, Legend of The Last Saloon is an opportunity for Rebekah to bring those ideas into a shared theatrical experience. To create a world where performers can play, reveal, tell stories and be seen in all their complexity.

Bringing something joyful and outrageous, but also intimate, human and real. The Legend of the Last Saloon promises to bring a true celebration of the wonderfully complicated business of being human.

Grab your tickets and support the local Art at https://events.humanitix.com/the-legend-of-the-last-saloon or join their mail list and find out more at www.templeoftease.com

Photography: Sara-Jayne Prince