Boo One, Mae De Fleur, Morticia Marrow, Madame Maehem, Boo Two, and Vivienne Velveteen (front) are ready to entertain. Photo: Supplied.
Trick-or-treat and tassels will combine when Cooktown’s favourite burlesque dancers return to the stage for two nights of spooky and sassy Halloween entertainment.
Tickets are flying out faster than a witch on her broom for Bellahdi Dance Troupe’s third self-produced show on 31 October and 1 November.
After two sold-out shows, the group is expecting a full house at the Shire Hall once again for Frightnight Follies.
“We’re leaning heavily into the spooky and the wacky and the weird, because Halloween’s a great excuse for that,” troupe leader Jasmine “Madam Maeham” Sieverding said.
“We’ve got a few girls using Halloween as an excuse to push themselves and try out new props, new characters and new costumes.
“So we’re pushing the envelope a little bit and leaning away from more traditional burlesque and cabaret.”
Since the group took the leap and put on its first self-produced show earlier this year, it’s quickly grown in popularity.
The troupe was recently seen in a string of performances at the Cairns Festival.
Ms Sieverding said the opportunity to perform outside Cape York had helped the performers feel more comfortable in experimenting their styles.
“When you’re in Cooktown, you’ve got a safety net… I know people are going to be there supporting, I know I’m not going to be performing to an empty house. But I have to see these people at the IGA,” she laughed.
“If we hadn’t had the chance to go to Cairns and be full-send stupid, we probably wouldn’t have been comfortable trying out something like burlesque grotesque, a bit of a weird genre, in Cooktown.”
She said trying new things without fear of judgement had helped them come up with a completely new show experience for Cooktown.
“We want to make sure every show we give Cooktown is a completely different experience, not just a slight change of music and some different coloured feathers,” she said.
“We want every show to tell a different story, so people can come and be surprised and amazed every time.
“Looking at the lineup of the show for Halloween, I think this is definitely going to be the best show yet and will be completely different to anything Cooktown has seen from us before.”
Tickets for Frightnight Follies at the Shire Hall can be purchased in person at Bektopia, via the Bellahdi Dance Troupe’s Facebook page or Humanitix.
