大象传媒

Each year, hundreds of performers attend the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend in Las Vegas, where the guests of honour are The Living Legends.

In the mid-20th century these women were shunned by society. Most were presumed prostitutes.

But now their careers are celebrated, and their ground-breaking acts are revived, at the Titans of Tease Reunion.

Mat Fraser embarks on a very personal journey to meet some of the legends, both on and off stage.

Mat is a British actor, cabaret star, and a former Best Male Striptease Artist, who says:

鈥淎s a disabled performer, I connect with these women in that we鈥檙e all outsiders. We don鈥檛 look mainstream. They don鈥檛 judge me, and I don鈥檛 judge them.鈥�

Veteran performers in their 70s and 80s, including April March, Lottie 鈥渢he Body鈥� Graves and Melanie 鈥淢arinka鈥� Hunter, discuss ageism, sexism, racism and feminism in their profession.

How have attitudes towards Burlesque artists shifted since the 1950s?

How do the legends inspire younger performers?

And after three decades of retirement, how does it feel to finally get back on stage - and strip?

Producer: Steve Urquhart

A Sparklab production for 大象传媒 Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2015.

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