Australian Penthouse

Lola the Vamp lives and breathes burlesque. Luckily for us, this babe from Brisbane has breathed new life into an old art. Get ready as she takes your breath away with this, her debut nude shoot and greatest performance…

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Hometown: Brisbane
Photographer: Norman Guerre

From her humble beginnings as a belly dancer, Lola is the first person in history to do a PhD in burlesque: a degree based half on theory and performance. Dr Lola the Vamp… sounds spooky, doesn’t it? Lola kicked off her career in burlesque in 2002, in San Francisco, where the burlesque sub-culture was smoky and intriguing, although until recently it had remained exactly that – a sub-culture, tipping its hat to an 80-year-old art form that many people saw as a quirky blast from the past.

However, more recently, burlesque has emerged as one of the most hip, exotic and erotic art forms, and Lola has been a major driving force behind bringing the strip/dance/satire/art-based expression to the forefront of modern culture. And now we can’t get enough.

Do you have to perform naked for a panel of judges for your PhD exam?
Yes! It’s not a panel, though. It’s at a bar, which will be open to the public. A judge will be in the audience. I’m not supposed to know who it is, but I think he’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

Which is the better song, ‘Lola’ by The Kinks or Barry Manilow’s ‘Copacabana’ [which has the line, “Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl…”]?
It’d have to be The Kinks, but I was disappointed to find out it was about a transvestite.

Do you know Gypsy Rose Lee’s real name?
Louise Hovick.

Do red lights make people look better?
I prefer yellow.

Was Dita Von Teese the brains behind the Marilyn Manson album ‘The Golden Age of Grotesque’?
Yes, I think he even did a Grotesque of Burlesque tour.

Are Australians too dumb to ‘get’ burlesque. Has anyone ever screamed ‘show us your tits’ during your show?
Ha! I have had people yell out ‘show us your tits’ and they’ve been guys of many nationalities, not just Australians. And no, Australians do ‘get’ burlesque.

What are these ‘pasties’ that you’re notorious for losing?
They’re nipple covers. Many are pointed and have tassels. You’re meant to glue them on, but mine always seem to fall off.

Ever been to Cornwell?
Ha ha, no!

Your favourite silent film?
Lula or Blue Angel—where Marlene Dietrich is in her element.

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