The leading components of variety and burlesque from the London theatre and club scene will appear in Sheffield for one night only to champion the cause of the University and Sheffield Theatres. Each act has been specially selected in order to highlight the best of new variety with four Olivier winning performers (Miss Behave, Chris Green, Ursula Martinez and the Amazing Marawa) starring in the show. The format is based on a traditional Edwardian variety show – not music hall but more a collection of extraordinary performers at the height of their careers. Miss Behave, Mawara and Ursula Martinez are currently performing in the Oliver award winning show for Best Entertainment La Clique, now in its seven month at the London Hippodrome with Chris Green aka Ida Barr/Tina C the darling of the Barbican.

The show will be risqué, saucy and contain some nudity (male and female) but is in the best possible taste and will introduce this form of neo variety to Sheffield. The acts are all veterans of the festival circuit and have appeared at Edinburgh Festival, Queer Up North, the Brighton Festival and the Barbican but this will be their first visit to Sheffield or indeed the Yorkshire region. Spymonkey for example were described by Time Out as a mixture of Monty Python and porn-movie spoofs, did two short turns, including their extreme pole-dancing send-up that mocks poor Britney Spears. Dressing as crusaders and using Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, it epitomises the cultural racketeering that is their style.”

The show will be sponsored by the University of Sheffield, produced by Professor Vanessa Toulmin and Chris Green in association with Sheffield Theatres. A variety of additional packages are being put together by the theatre and the University Alumni office to guarantee maximum exposure, publicity and ticket sales.