Hot New Flesh: Pretty Peepers

Led by Glitta Supernova, queer variety show Pretty Peepers Cabaret goes from strength to strength.

Now in its second year, and with no signs of slowing down, Pretty Peepers Cabaret is taking the festival season as an opportunity to bring its revolutionary performance night to new and unexplored places.

“Festival time is an amazing time as the city is full of hot new flesh just aching to take part in our dynamic culture,” producer Glitta Supernova tells SX. “It opens up a whole new interstate and international audience and the vibe is just through the roof.”

After the incredible success of her previous creation, Gurlesque, Glitta wasn’t sure how Pretty Peepers would take off – if at all. But with a sold-out show kick-starting 2012, the future seems pretty much assured.

For Glitta, Peepers’  popularity is all down to its accessibility.

“I believe our inclusion and the excitement that this natural diversity affords is one of the key factors for Peepers’ success. Having mixed performers and audience is so expansive – it’s true cabaret one might say.”

This expansiveness extends to Peepers’ approach to genre. It’s something Glitta felt was important to experiment with.

“After doing burlesque for over 12 years I felt the need to experiment with different genres,” she says. “I feel the creative community is becoming more united and having it more open to different genres makes it possible to more inclusive in the vision and give artists more scope to express their ideas freely”.

Pretty Peepers presents itself as a ‘queer variety show’. Thus, a relaxed approach to questions of gender and sexuality is especially important.

“The approach is more what is between your ears than what’s between your legs (although I love titillation between anyone’s legs),” Glitta says.

Glitta adds that, in the current climate, performance is an ideal way in addressing issue and an outlet for exploration and change.

“Performance has really made a comeback and we are all hungry for it. At the forefront of political change and conservative society these outlets have been very popular to express what we are all feeling inside with the issues of our day, turning them around and transcending them with humour and satire.

“It’s a good tension lifter and should be part of everyone’s health regime”.

[Pictured] Glitta Supernova. Photo: Kellie Lafranchie

Pretty Peepers is on Sunday, February 26, 8pm, Imperial Hotel, Erskineville. Entry $25/$20.