Art & Design blog

XETH interviews Tempest Rose

Artist / designer:   Tempest Rose
Article author:   Charlotte Bradford
Published:   Wed, 26 Aug 2015

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Photographer: Zoe Hunn

Tempest Rose is an international award winning burlesque artist, singer and compere. She has been honoured to perform at some of Burlesque’s most celebrated events and is one of the few UK artists to be invited to perform for the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend in Las Vegas.

Tempest Rose is the director and producer of House of Burlesque Ltd – one of the UK”s biggest burlesque production companies with 4 highly successful runs at The London Wonderground. She also runs the House of Burlesque Academy and has taught over 3000 ladies to love themselves.

Other selected credits include three West End runs; appearances on Channel 4, BBC 3, ITV 2, The BBC Radio 2 Arts Show, MTV and London Fashion Week. She is a firm believer in burlesque’s ability to inspire, uplift, entertain and dazzle audiences worldwide and has been making a jaw-dropping career out of doing just that!

At what age did you start to take an interest in the field you work in?

I first got involved with Burlesque in 2007 when I auditioned for and joined The Kitten Club, but like most people who find burlesque, the roots of what drew me to the art form had been fascinations of mine since a young age. At the time I had already been a professional actress for 3 years and had started performing in theatre from a young age.

What are your top three favourite songs?

Argh, depends totally on my mood, time of day, weather etc! Three songs I’ve loved for many years are A Case of You by Joni Mitchell,  Silent all These Years by Tori Amos and Stepping to the Bad Side from Dreamgirls, but ask me in an hour – who knows.

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Photographer: Derek Bremner

What is your favourite London venue and why?

Each venue brings out a different skill and relationship with the audience so all are special and I’ve been very lucky to have worked on a longterm basis with a few, some of which have now closed sadly, who were pivotal in my own development and the history of burlesque within London – Madame Jojo’s and Volupte for example. As it’s summer I shall also mention London Wonderground which I adore, and we are in our 4th year of residency at.

Name three creatives who have inspired you over the past 10 years?

Gypsy Rose Lee – always, my favourite burlesque icon, Macklemore and Alexander McQueen.

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Photographer: Terry Mendoza, Retro Photo Studio

Have you got any exciting events coming up in the near future?

We have just entered our weekly run at London Wondeground with House of Burlesque … Straight Up, a show that I have been working on since the beginning of the year, so that’s exciting. I’m also programming a new central London venue and working on our HOB Christmas revue.

If you weren’t involved in the creative industry what other career path would you have chosen?

I’m fascinated by the law, although really I probably just like watching the Good Wife and Law and Order. I think if you are a creative person you bring that element into whatever you do. It’s part of your very existence so I’m not sure choosing another career path is ever really an option.

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Photographer: Derek Bremner

For further information about Tempest Rose and future performances from House of Burlesque, please visit their websites www.tempestrose.com and www.houseofburlesque.co.uk

 

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