Little Peaches presents the 2nd cabaret featuring artists with disabilities, whether visible or invisible.
The first showcase of DisabiliTease was done at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool last year, but this new one was available for digital purchase from £5. I opted to receive a private YouTube link which I could watch at any time rather than participating in the live Zoom stream.
Digital DisabiliTease is about giving both artists and audiences a safe space, with all performances presented as accessibly as possible. There are descriptions of costumes, captions in the Zoom chat, and a bit of audio description.
During the show we meet eight performers showcasing themselves from their own safe spaces.
Arielle Firecracker is what used to be described as a burlesque strip and dance act, with tassels, tattoos and a fast-paced song to move to, but she also has skills concerning fire and snakes! Arielle also does the tech for this show and co-hosts.
Piggy Rocks shows her powerful presence with crutches as weapons and vintage hair and make-up. Her act is pure cabaret-tease to the sound of the feminist anthem You Don’t Own Me.
Canadian aerialist and gymnast Erin Ball became a double amputee after she spent an extended period lost in very cold weather: she performs a hauntingly beautiful dance piece utilising the body and the wheelchair, showing the strength and resilience of the human body.
Rosie Verbose is a performer and producer advocating for those with mental health disabilities through Invisible Cabaret. I enjoyed her sparky song about body image, sex and more, delivered with a lot of humour.
Lady Phoenix is a brain tumour survivor and lives with various physical conditions. Her routine turns The Greatest Showman’s This is Me into a song of hope and resolution despite all the odds.
Fifi La Roux, Queen of Neo Burlesque, circus performer and burlesque clown tells the foxy tale of the urban vixen in cheeky, comical movement to an Attenboroughesque narration.
Noeline La Bouche, another lady of the burlesque and bump ‘n’ grind, celebrating her body, size and clear love for life. Known as “Berlin’s Big Black Bodyshaker” for her sexy wiggle.
La Nina The Disability Pirate, a decade in the cabaret industry, direct from Australia, tells a tale of dealing with one limitation of MS. Her spoon covered costume with a pirate hat hosts a new kind of warrior. She hosts a podcast about her experiences.
Finally a reflective dance piece from Little Peaches pulls the show together and leaves us on a high. It is sobering and joyful to see such intense positivity about disabiities, turning any perceived disadvantages into advantages.
Digital DisabiliTease was streamed on Zoom on 29 May 2020. Find out more about Little Peaches on Facebook.
LouReviews purchased a ticket to view DigitalDisabiliTease.