London has never seen anything like it. Not since Gypsy Rose turned stripping into an art form has there been so much excitement over the reinvention of the lost arts of tasseling and tease. Where once Burlesque was associated with the celebration of the female form, it’s now a more unisex affair reflecting the androgyny of Cabaret and the surreal campness of Moulin Rouge. But fear not, it’s still saturated with traditional feathers and more sauce than a lorry load of bottled HP!

Immodesty Blaize and Walters Burlesque offers an intoxicating and glamorous atmosphere where you’ll see show-stopping routines infused with infectious energy, high camp and opulent charm.

So, if you’re looking for alternative entertainment from impersonal clubs, cheesy musicals and the obligatory multiplex crowd, then dress up and prepare yourself for something entirely different. The age of the New Romantics is back - only this time it includes a smidgen of erotica too!

GaydarNation caught up with Walter, a male stripper with a difference, to find out more about tassels, high heels, stripping and why the straight guys love the fact that he swings!

What’s been the reaction to the show?
The audience love it, we've had such just an incredible response. They love the atmosphere and the way the theatre is decked out - with huge stocking clad legs. We’ve had Peter Blake, Goldfrapp and Lauren Bacall in the audience! The age range is massive too. I think people are fascinated by the idea of Burlesque. It’s a reaction against Reality TV. This is about fantasy and not about watching someone painting a shed.

Sadly some of the broadsheets haven’t got it at all. They’ve tended to be confused and have compared it to a musical, which is weird. It’s not what this show is about at all.

How would you describe it?
Striptease, fan dancing, feathers, tassels and humour. It’s a show that is actually very easy to grasp because it’s like a gig, but there’s no singing in it. So why anyone would try and compare it to a musical is absurd!

We present a series of characters that aren’t the norm for West End fare. It’s a series of characters who are pretty much off the wall and presenting themselves in the way they wish to be seen. For instance at one stage I appear as the Marquis de Sade and Immodesty herself transforms from a bird to a woman wearing a horse’s tail!

It’s all quite surreal and fun and not placed within logic at all.

And stripping let’s not forget that!
Yes, plenty of it but not the kind of stripping you’d expect at a gay club or a Hen night! This is Burlesque, which is 91% humour. It’s more to do with the clothes, humour and teasing. It was an art form that died in the early 60’s when full nudity was allowed and pornography laws relaxed. This is a return to coyness.

It’s more than just sex because you can go to hundreds of bars, clubs or the Internet and see full-on nudity. It’s no big deal. So I can’t understand some critics. I think it was The Times who complained that it wasn’t hardcore enough. As if we’d bypassed that by accident! You have to ask yourself what sheltered lives some of these people lead.

I believe your stripping is something that has to be seen to be believed?
Yes, I do the tassels thing as well! But I wear them in the ‘southern’ region rather than the usual place! They’re worn on briefs and are beautifully designed by my partner who has actually patented them. I have different versions that are coloured to suit various outfits.

So how exactly do you, er, swing them?
Well I can only make them go in one direction – clockwise. What helps is wearing high heels because they push the pelvis out. It’s a spoof really and it’s amazing the reaction it gets from even the straight men who are initially a bit uncomfortable about seeing a guy in high heels and looking androgynous - until that is I come out with the tassels!

They love it. It’s like ‘yeah, we like that’ kind of thing and sometimes guys will come backstage and shake my hand. They admire the way I can tassel my bits and find it a cool thing to do. I guess it acts as a sort of comic relief. At first they may be unsure about the atmosphere, and then as soon as I’ve done that it’s like ‘hey we get you now’!

And what about Immodesty, she must be tassel job extraordinaire?
She’s amazing. But again, if she just went onstage like an ordinary stripper in front of a sea of men and just got them out, that would be a big turn off for the women in the audience. But when it’s done with humour and fun it’s inclusive.

You’ve said that you were a star in what was traditionally a woman’s world. What do you mean by that?
Most people associate Burlesque with girls in feathers, fans and it being about the female form. So to have a guy in there - playing different characters and being androgynous - is a new aspect to the art form. I was performing before the recent Burlesque thing kicked off and people said to me. ‘you do realise that you’re very Burlesque?’

So all that cross-dressing and comedy was good preparation. I hope it’s comedic, otherwise it would be tragic!

Who have been your influences and inspirations?
Brian Eno, Marc Bolan and the original Victorian ‘Walter’ diaries – erotic diaries that were written under various pseudonyms. Punk has also been a big inspiration and Leigh Bowery who influenced my thoughts about how to dress and create characters.

There are some major names from the world of advertising and theatre who are behind the venture. Trevor Beattie for instance from the famous advertising agency TBWA is on board. How did that come about?
Trevor came and saw the show last December and just wanted to get involved. Fortunately we’ve got producers who understand what we are, what we do and back us all the way. It’s more about the creative use of resources where it really makes a difference, so that we can present the show we want.

Do you think London audiences are ready now for this kind of entertainment?
Oh definitely. It’s a real reaction to the hoodies and trainers type of uniform and mindset that people can get into. This is a reversion back to glamour and dressing up. We award the most outrageously dressed punters to sit at the front of the stage and the outfits you see are wonderful. It’s a bit like the New Romantics again only with more style! There’s beautiful vintage clothing, 50’s leopard prints and Zoot suits. But you only dress like that if you want to, and those that do love to parade around.

This is a show about something that little bit different, not just turning up and sitting with your popcorn!

Immodesty Blaize and Walter’s Burlesque
The Arts Theatre
Great Newport Street
London, W1
0207 8363 334 or 0207 344 4000 (Ticketmaster)

3 May-30 July 2005; Tues-Thurs at 8.30pm and Fri-Sat at 7pm and 9pm.

Buy the DVD of Sébastien Lifshitz's gay summer of love flick, Presque Rien online and save yourself some money to put towards Beau Travail, Drole De Felix and  Ma Vie.