Perth International Burlesque Festival to bring glitter and glamour to Geraldton’s Queens Park Theatre

Geraldton audiences are in for a night of outrageous fun as the Perth International Burlesque Festival Regional Roadshow returns on Friday, October 11, bringing sequins, satire, and a whole lot of sass to the Queens Park Theatre.

Now celebrating its 12th year, the festival has cemented itself as a celebration of creativity, inclusivity and sheer entertainment.

Show director Jessica Anne Gough said the tour was about showcasing burlesque in all its fabulous forms.

“We’re very proud to be coming back to Geraldton for our fourth year,” she said.

“We’re all about burlesque, drag and bringing the art of tease and the art of parodies.”

Gough explained the roots of burlesque were deeply political.

“Burlesque comes from the word burla, which is to parody, and it was because in the 1800s women weren’t allowed to perform in theatre,” she said.

“It started as a political movement, and it still continues to this day.”

This year marks the roadshow’s fourth visit to Geraldtonand Gough says the regional crowds bring a special kind of magic.

“Every time we come to Geraldton, the audience is just so appreciative to see the diversity on stage — different body sizes, different backgrounds, different ages. I think there’s an extra level of appreciation for that in the regions,” she said.

Audiences can expect “all the glitz and glamour to boot” with a line-up that includes two charismatic MCs, drag acts and even a Shannon Noll tribute.

With more than 450 acts submitted for this year, Gough said the beauty of the festival was that “you never know what you’re going to get” and will “never see the same show twice”.

“It’s an extraordinary thing that the festival brings and we want to make sure that Perth and regional WA are a beacon of the arts world,” she said.

“It’s always my honour and privilege to put on such beautiful shows and I just hope everybody has the best time.

“In the line-up there’ll be something there that will surprise you, something that will excite you, and something that hopefully you just find an absolute joy.”

Tickets for this “outrageous, fabulous, razzle-dazzle” show can be bought on the QPT website.