“Burlesque, theatre, live music and laughs. Doesn’t that sound like a great night out? Well, you can get it all rolled into one in a brand new play: The Lion’s Den at Camden Fringe,” says Cocheene Smith, an Australian actor living in Fitzrovia.
The play is a story about a fictional, elite burlesque club in New York City.
“I play unassailable, Lion’s Den owner Tabby. It’s funny, flirty, oh so queer and bursting with fresh talent,” she says.
The club is portrayed as a place full of wonder and enchantment, showcasing only the best dancers in a competitive environment with “every dancer for themselves”.
Then a shocking discovery, made on the most important night of the year, forces the dancers to drop their catty acts, withdraw their claws and band together to reclaim their power.
The Lion’s Den combines farcical satire with the seductive dance of burlesque. It will charm its audience with a visual display but also challenge the entitlement of voyeurism that is seen too often in art forms revolving around the naked body.
It is presented by 5aSideTheatre, an all-women collective based in London, written and performed by Harriet Chomley, directed by Hannah Beach, and assistant directed and performed by Benjamin McCann.
The performance is accompanied by live music from the band Layer by Layer.
The Lions Den is showing as part of the Camden Fringe at Camden People’s Theatre, 58-60 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PY, from 10 to 14 August and again from 17 to 21 August 2021, at 7 pm each night with a running time of 75 minutes. Tickets: £15 (£12 concessions) must be booked in advance. View website and video trailer.