In Flagrante Burlesque - caught in the act

In Flagrante is Mary Jane O’Reilly’s modern and beautifully deviant take on the burlesque revival; six exquisite dancers caught in the act with a fetish for leather, nudity in public and a wild equestrian spirit.

This work takes Mary Jane back to her roots as choreographer and artistic director of the seminal Limbs Dance Company, whose exuberant signature style was their highly developed sense of satire and superb technical execution, with a genius for slapstick physical theatre.

Mary Jane’s cryptic eye for comedic and satiric juxtaposition makes In Flagrante a heady, exhilarating and very sexy romp through some deliciously dark territory.

‘I wanted to repudiate some of the orthodoxies of burlesque female sexuality; that women are capable of being bad, not just coquettish avatars,’ says Mary Jane who has structured In Flagrante into twelve short pieces.

A tableau of femme fatale pop iconology, from objects of fetish in bridles and pony tails to Eve as a later day cigarette girl, a subversive North Korean police woman directing traffic to the glamour Vargas girl cartoons of WW2 bomber nose art.

In Flagrante is set to the album ‘Ballroom Stories’ by uber quirky Austrian cabaret group Waldeck.

The result is a truly unique burlesque experience, and catnip to its large and widely appreciative audience.

REVIEWS:

“An unexpectedly beautiful and hilarious take on the burlesque revival.” Courteney Peters - Gather and Hunt

“The show to see” Ewen Coleman - The Dominion Post

“If you're a contemporary dance fan you'll adore the captivating choreography and precise physical and cerebral execution. Be prepared to be surprised - if not a little shocked. If you're not a dance fan you'll love the gorgeous sculpted dancers, the humour, music and daring minimal costumes. A fresh look at burlesque, in all is slick, naked darkness and glory.” Greer Robertston – The Dominion Post

“The humour, sub-text, intelligence and sexiness shone through every move. It was a totally slick and well-thought out programme.” Michelanne Forster - playwright

“ In Flagrante equally captivating: The dancers are superb, choreography is fresh and exciting, the music is perfect and the costumes gorgeous....... dirty, but classy.”

Celia Walmsley - Wellington St James Theatre Programming Manager