Shotgun Carousel have announced Lilly Snatchdragon as the host of The Grotteaux: their glamorous return to the stage after the pandemic-induced cancellation of their highly anticipated Christmas show.
Named No. 1 in the ‘Top UK Burlesque Performers’ by 21st Century Burlesque, Lilly has performed sold-out shows at The Bush and the Garrick Theatres, as well as founding The Bitten Peach, the UK’s premiere Pan-Asian cabaret collective.
Lilly will be joined by burlesque star Cleopantha (as seen in The Man in the Mirror: A Michael Jackson biopic and voted number 5 burlesque figure worldwide in 2021), Dosa Cat (choreographer for Netflix who subverts expectations of the traditional Kathak dance style) and Symoné (Wonderville, Palace Theatre and Guinness World Record holder for ‘longest duration on high heeled skates while spinning three hula hoops’).
Lead by Musical Director and bassist, Isobella Burnham (Dancin’ Garduda, released 2021), the House Band is comprised of Mark Anthony (winner, Mr Boylesque UK 2019; Queeriosity Cabaret) on drums, Len Blanco (Divine Proportions, Shotgun Carousel) on guitar and pianist Jason Kwan (Bitten Peach core member and named ‘Asian on the Rise’ by Attitude Magazine).
The Grotteaux’s House Band will provide that classic cabaret feel to the show with live music, original tunes and accompaniment. Together with the House Cast, they bring together a mixture of artists from a variety of backgrounds, heritages and identities – working class, East End, Yorkshire, Laos/Thai, Asian, middle class, white, Black British Caribbean, dual heritage, Arabic heritage, trans, non-binary and more. The Grotteaux creates a world that audiences can enter from all walks of life and feel welcome.
Celebrating rebirth, renewal, second chances, change, impermanence, and the optimism and freshness of a new season, The Grotteaux brings an incredible line up of guest artists ready to serve a delectable night of cabaret and circus delights. Expect an evening of variety performances full to the brim with burlesque bombshells, jaw-dropping drag acts and breath-taking circus spectacles, bursting into an abundance of springtime revelry at the award-winning new venue Woolwich Works.
Writer and director Molly Beth Morossa comments, I’m very excited to be creating a show which merges the worlds of cabaret, theatre, live music and nightlife events, in Shotgun Carousel’s first ever large scale seated cabaret show. We are creating a vision of Springtime with traditional and familiar tropes brought to life by an outstanding cast to bring you an vibrant, contemporary and ground-breaking new cabaret extravaganza – this is the grandest Shotgun Carousel outing to date!
The Grotteaux is at Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory Wednesday 18th May – Saturday 4th June 2022
More information can be found here
