A collaborative work of subtly unsettling supernatural horror, inspired by the fear of the unknown and the terror of being replaced by something from the other side. A haunting collaboration with Dae LeeGrind with visuals by Simon Clarke for April O'Peel Productions' annual Burlesque Duos showcase.
A 13-minute journey through the phases of the moon from new to full. Layer upon layer of unweighted chiffon veils create the illusion of a gradual transition from darkness to light, ending with climactic hoop and flow work as an accompanying projection of the moon becomes a perfect circle. Created especially for April O’Peel Productions’s Burlesque Long Form spectacular.
The shadowy antagonist from the Cartoon Network miniseries “Over the Garden Wall” who hunts and crushes the souls of lost children to feed his insatiable hunger; a tall, malevolent creature stalking the forests of The Unknown, “he is the death of hope.” Glowing eyes, twining antlers, and a strange lantern all weave a sinister trance precluding the final, horrific reveal.
Evoking three things commonly found in a toilet using colour, texture, and shape, this is cheeky scatological humour at its finest, dressed up as an elegant mid-1930s-era burlesque routine. The juxtaposition of opulent costuming and filthy subtext creates a truly classic act where we’re reminded - in the gentlest and most glamorous way - that everybody (no matter how fancy) poops.
Secretly inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out Of Space” this act poses the hypothetical question: if a near-imperceptible and arguably sentient extraterrestrial colour defying all description (that twists and mutates nature to its unknowable will, driving all living things in communion with it to madness and death).. if “those hectic and prismatic variants of some diseased, underlying primary tone without a place among the known tints of earth” were to do a fan dance, what would it look like?
Two friends, intrepid interstellar explorers, blast off in their ship made of impossible shifting geometry, to explore the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Their relationship becomes strained, and their vessel isn't the only thing damaged by the dangers they encounter in the deep void of space. Developed with Clare Voyeur for April O'Peel Productions' Burlesque Duos show.
Faye's first collaborative/duo act, with a special incognito appearance by Donna Boss Rogers. A high-stepping pantomime horse is actually a sassy centaur in disguise.. or is it? This number challenges audience expectations, incorporates loud and uncomfortable moments of theatre and physical comedy, and bucks the boundaries of the typical burlesque routine. Faye and Donna competed together for Best Debut, and were awarded “Most Comedic” at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender’s 2019 Tournament of Tease.
A high-energy classic act with all the fixings: a glamorous gown, decadent boa, glittering jewelry, flying fringe, bumps, grinds, tassel-twirling, and plenty of attitude! A tribute to the down 'n' dirty legends of yesteryear who mastered both the elegance of parading and posing as well as the salaciousness of thrusting and shimmying.
What began as an idea for an instrumental dance number dripping with strands of crystal blue beads eventually became a tribute to Lapis Lazuli, a character from the animated series Steven Universe. Lapis is imprisoned for millennia, far from home, until she is freed by the eponymous hero. Her thirst for revenge against her captors, combined with her otherworldly hydrokinetic powers, unleashes a destructive force that only she can tame: by choosing to forsake her identity, and to lock herself away again in a prison of her own making.
Aviatrix is a tribute to the female pilots of the 1920s and '30s. Brave, smart, capable, adventurous women who broke boundaries and set world records in the early days of aviation, they embodied the spirit of feminism long before the revolution that was to happen decades later. Most of these flying legends remain largely unknown, but their defiance of gender roles and their unladylike pursuit of flight (much like our burlesque foremothers' unladylike pursuit of stripping) remains an inspiration to this day. As Bessie Coleman said: "I refused to take no for an answer."
A dilettante ingénue takes the stage, only to have her act derailed by a mysterious gift: a bigger, thicker, longer boa! What seems to be an improvement soon takes a darker turn, and the new boa asserts its own ideas about how the act should progress. Using puppetry, physical comedy, fight choreography, and a central metaphor that becomes more and more disturbing the more you think about it, Big Boa won "Most Innovative" at the Edmonton Burlesque Festival's 2014 Burlesque Bunny Competition, and was selected to compete for Best Debut at the 2017 Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender.
Faye's first burlesque number, which has become - and remains - a signature act. In this genderbent strip-reverse-strip, a disgruntled peahen trades their dull brown plumage for the bright colours and impressive tail of the male of the species. A funny and heartwarming journey of self-discovery that proves you "always should be someone you really love."
