High Tease

Slinky Sparkles tried to get into Oxford University aged 18. She didn’t win a place, but went on to do a degree in psychology and a masters in clinical neuroscience elsewhere.

The latter she managed on the burlesque tour bus, surrounded by feathers, make-up and false eyelashes.

Neither did she graduate under the name Slinky Sparkles. Her real name is Sarah Fullerton, only becoming Slinky Sparkles at night – her Candy Girl and Nearly Nude Fan Dance giving an indication of what to expect.

So does Slinky, pictured far right, feel she has a split personality?

“No, I don’t have a dark side. I have a serious academic side but you can use that in your act. I did my degree side-by-side with my burlesque dancing, by studying and writing during the day and having my fun at night. Burlesque is a great outlet for creativity and a wonderful form of escapism,” she laughs.

“And I finished my masters this week actually. It’s definitely something to use in the future but at the moment I’m with the tour and really enjoying doing that and having a full schedule.”

In fact, ever since Slinky Sparkles first took to the stage she has been in huge demand. “I was so seduced by burlesque when I first saw it, having always danced in my spare time. I got an act together and gave it a go and, having introduced Slinky Sparkles at a small burlesque night, have been getting bookings ever since,” she smiles. “But it takes a while until you are comfortable being on stage.”

So what’s the big attraction? “I really like the way you create your own routine, costumes and music. You have complete artistic freedom, so burlesque is very individual and more personal,” she says. “And there’s good burlesque and bad burlesque and I’ve seen both, so I know what works and what doesn’t and knew I could do it better.”

As for stage fright, Slinky is immune: “I wasn’t nervous. I was more nervous about presenting a streamlined act than the striptease because I wanted to make sure that people could follow what I was doing,” the 24-year-old explains.

“Candy Girl is coquettish, fun and sweet and the Nearly Nude Fan Dance is darker, sexier and classic. Think crystals and feathers. But all of my acts are quiet rather than outrageous or raunchy. I like happy, fun characters and enjoy portraying them. And while some burlesque dancers are very different on and off stage Slinky is quite a reflection of my personality, albeit the happier, fun side.”

And yet burlesque until now has been fringe. Does it lose some of its intimacy on a bigger stage? “Once you have experienced the bigger venues, you just have to alter your energy because there is an expectation and people are sitting down to see the show happen in front of them. But you can still interact with the audience and the tour has been very successful. But it’s like acting - when you have a bad day you have to go out there and give a good performance and be consistent.”

As for Oxford University, it’s their loss. “It will be interesting to come back to Oxford because since then I’ve been out and travelled the world and done my masters at the same time. But then I’ve always believed that you should push yourself to get the most out of life and see what you can do.”

Headlining is the wonderfully exotic Rotherham burlesque dancer Amber Topaz, who describes herself as “The Yorkshire Tease” and says she was born to perform.

Yet the fun-loving beauty only became a burlesque dancer after landing a part in the West End and realising musical theatre wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

“I’ve danced all my life. And then I got my dream job in Les Miserables and thought ‘is this it?” she explains. “I wanted razzle dazzle and started thinking about what else I could do that’s all-singing-and-dancing. And while I didn’t know what burlesque was, it had just started bubbling away underground in this country so I went and did a few shows for fun and it took off from there.”

With a job at the famous Whoopee Club, her career as a burlesque dancer was set. “I got to go all over the world to places like Vegas. But what was brilliant was being able to sing what I wanted, dance how I wanted and wear whatever costumes I wanted,” she says.

As a leading burlesque light, Amber Topaz, real name Sheli Andrew, pictured left, has helped reinvent burlesque, stripping away any stigma and contributing to the current surge in interest: “I am endlessly grateful because I get to do what I absolutely love with all my heart and make people laugh. I love entertaining because you can see the audiences faces and I haven’t been out of work for seven years. What a great job!” she says. “And my ideal gigs are the ones I’m getting because we get a pick of the theatres; the O2, Blackpool, all extraordinary experiences.”

As for the striptease side, Amber says: “My mum and dad come to lots of my shows and if they were disgusted or upset maybe I’d feel differently, but I’m more empowered now. And anyway, we are so uptight about nudity in this country and it’s not like it’s legs akimbo with no knickers on,” she titters. “My family are very proud of what I do and it’s not striptease for men. Women love it because they see I’m comfortable in my own skin.”

Wasn’t that always the case? “No, I used to have terrible body issues when I was younger and training at dance school,” she admits.

“But being Amber Topaz takes the edge off it so now I’m never too tall or not quite right, because I create my personas myself and you see my whole person on stage.”

As for the show, Amber says: “I am quite palatable, although I am provocative,” she promises.

“But this burlesque is more like a variety show and less intimate than people think, so while it’s over 18, it’s more about innuendo and sauce, than filth. Think seaside postcards,” she smiles.

* An Evening of Burlesque is coming to Oxford’s New Theatre on Thursday, March 22. Box office on 0844 8713020 or atgtickets.com /oxford