The Sexy Lamp act, a highlight of the Rouge adult circus show, is a comic celebration of sexual self-discovery.
The show, which will be seen outside Australia for the first time at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, delights in turning conventional ideas about gender, sex and sexuality upside down.
And some of the most unusual scenes will be performed by top-flight acrobat Maddy Burleigh, while wearing a lampshade.
The idea was the brainchild of Tara Silcock and, like the rest of Rouge, mixes sauciness with humour.
It is based on the Sexy Lamp Test, which is similar to the Bechdel Test but looks at whether female characters in shows have real agency by asking if it would make any difference to what happens if they were replaced with a lampshade.
Rouge goes a step beyond as the lampshade discovers itself and has an onstage sexual awakening (the act was developed by Tara and show producer Elena Kirschbaum).
Tara (see full Q&A below) says the idea had many inspirations: “It is primarily a response to the suppression of female sexuality and how we only seem to celebrate female sexuality when it is there to please someone else.
“But instead of turning this into an angry performance piece I tried to reframe it.
“The act celebrates masturbation alongside the human body in all its diverse forms. It is provocative but not in a traditional ‘I’m being sexy for you way’ or even ‘I’m sexy’ in the first place. My lamp exists and performs for its own liberation and self-pleasure.”
As well as being highly sexual, it’s also lots of fun.
Tara says: “I’m a huge fan of puns and using humour on stage. This act really is just one big pun. Humour is the perfect vehicle for an exchange of ideas. ‘Funny’ invites everyone in. It just so happens that this ‘funny’ is soaked in unapologetic, uninhibited feminism.”
Maddy adds: “It’s such a great feeling to be able to go on stage being so confident enough in your self, in fact in your own skin and to just shake what your mama gave you.”
A decadent blend of sensational acrobatics, operatic cabaret and tongue-in-cheek burlesque, Rouge has earned a host of ★★★★ and ★★★★★ reviews – delighting audiences and critics alike across Australia.
Ithas been described as “circus for a new age” (Weekend Notes) – empowering as well as being a supremely entertaining, fun, funny and unforgettable night out.
Rouge is presented by the Highwire Entertainment production house that specialises in circus and multi-artform performances and events worldwide.Two years ago Smut Buttonsawarded it ★★★★★ saying“if you aren’t turned on by this you might want to consult a physician, because you’re probably clinically dead”.
In 2018 In Daily (awarding ★★★★) called it “a burst of energy with rippling muscles and plenty of tongue-in-cheek antics” while Great Scott (giving ★★★★) called it “impishly playful with sexuality and gender, with performers living up to and subverting our expectations at every turn”.
Reviewers are welcome from 5 August.
- After the Fringe, Rouge transfers to the Underbelly Festival Southbank http://www.underbellyfestival.com/whats-on/rouge.
– Ends –
Notes for editors
For more see http://www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/whats-on/rouge#calendar-08-2019 and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rougetheshow/ and video here https://www.facebook.com/rougetheshow/videos/354414338605303/
Listings Details
- Venue: Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows (Venue 360)
- Dates: Aug 3-6, 8-13, 15-20, 22-24
- Time: 21:50
- Duration: 60 mins
- Ticket prices: £14.50 and £15.50
- Box office: 0844 5458282 www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk
- Advisory: Ages 18+
Q&A with Tara – who used to perform the Sexy Lamp act as well as coming up with the original concept:
What inspired you to come up with the concept?
What really made me want to create the act was anger and frustration with society.
It is primarily a response to the suppression of female sexuality and how we only seem to celebrate female sexuality when it is there to please someone else. But instead of turning this into an angry performance piece I tried to reframe it.
The act celebrates masturbation alongside the human body in all its diverse forms. It is provocative but not in a traditional ‘I’m being sexy for you way’ or even ‘I’m sexy’ in the first place. My lamp exists and performs for its own liberation and self-pleasure.
It also comes from a theory like the Bechdel Test called The Sexy Lamp Test. If you had a main female character in a show and then replaced it with a lampshade. Would there be any change to the story, would any one need her? But what if you reverse it? Does the lampshade need any one else?
This is an act of self-discovery, in which my lamp realises its own autonomy. They don’t need it? Well it doesn’t need them.
The idea came to me as I was walking through an op shop in Brunswick. I saw this lampshade and I had my own light bulb moment. I went to our director Ellen Kirschbaum saying ‘I have two ideas, one is this regular hoop act I did in a sex club in Berlin or I have this weird lampshade idea…’ I’m so grateful she said ‘Yep, let’s do it! Why not!’”
I’m a huge fan of puns and using humour on stage. This act really is just one big pun. Humour is the perfect vehicle for an exchange of ideas. ‘Funny’ invites everyone in. It just so happens that this ‘funny’ is soaked in unapologetic, uninhibited feminism.”
What is the message you want the audience to take away from this act?
I want the audience to walk away with messages of empowerment, to question themselves around sexualisation. I want everyone to walk away loving themselves a little bit more. I want women and men supporting women to be loud. I want people to wear their undies on their head to breakfast if that’s what they feel like doing.
What does the audience experience?
The audience first meets the lamp waiting on a stool for someone to “come on home, and turn it on”. It is a surreal act that always starts with a giggle and ends with an empathising awwww from the audience.
They then meet the lamp later on when it has a sexual awakening on stage. But it’s not there to be sexy and especially not for them. That confuses people. I enjoy people not knowing what to feel.
But a lot of women relate to it very readily and deeply. After the shows I’ve had women just hug me and simply say ‘thank you’. That thank you is always a heavy one.
About Madison (Maddy) Burleigh
Maddy started off with many years of recreational gymnastics, before starting training circus in late 2014 and falling in love with the artform. Maddy is an extremely hard worker and in a few short years has become one of Australia’s most highly skilled acrobatic flyers. Maddy has toured Australia with Liam, performing with shows such as Circus Wonderland’s ‘The Mermaid Show’, Circus Rio, and a regular performer for companies such as After Dark Productions and CircaNICA.
- For media information contact Matthew Shelley at [email protected] or on 07786704299.