THE freaks are coming to town and you’ll be able to marvel at them in all their weird and wonderful glory in an erotic and sensual display of forbidden pleasures at The Galloway Theatre on Friday, April 26, in The Phantasmagorium Of Earthly Delights & Oddities.
“We have one-of-a-kind oddities. We have delights. We will blow your minds and titillate your sensibilities,” promises producer Sophia Von Syren of Von Syren Productions. “We have a wonderful cast of talented performers chomping at the bit to debut new acts and showcase their talents.”
The lineup includes a string of seasoned burlesque performers and artistes – Diva Disastar, Red Baroness, Kitty Kat, Soneda B (pictured above), Jezzy Belle, Velvet Letter, Sophia Von Syren herself, and Brendan Murry as the ringmaster of this extravaganza.
“Because it is in essence, a burlesque show, I was looking for performers who have acts that fit into the story I am creating,” says Sophia. “They all do a something little different and that was what I want to bring to this production with their personalities, flair and unique talents.
“We have a mermaid, a contortionist, a magician, a bearded lady, a snake charmer, the tattooed lady (which isn’t strange nowadays but was quite a spectacle in Victorian times) and a wild woman caught in the jungles of Africa. I don’t want to give too much away!” she enthuses.
After a lengthy hiatus from producing, Sophia decided at the beginning of this year it was high time she dusted off this particular hat: “Doing this kind of show was always on the back burner and then I watched The World’s Greatest Showman which inspired me to do something that is reminiscent of the ‘freak show’ carnival type shows people went to see in Victorian England,” she shares. “I do like to always bring something a bit different to the table in my shows. There is always a story line which is scripted by my brilliant MC Brendan, which is why I call my shows burlesque theatre.”
Sophia wants you – the audience member – to feel as if you are part of the show, immersed in it, swept away by it to a different time and place. “I want you to experience the magic of theatre!” she says. “The message I am conveying with the show is to embrace what makes you different and celebrate our differences as humans and love each other regardless.”
