Sexy, Sandy & Bonnie

It's the day after Sandy and somewhere in the greater New York area a saucy burlesque duo are packing their bags for Bootleg Alley. As the acrobatic stars of Harvest Festival's boutique arts sideshow, Trixie Little & The Evil Hate Monkey have plenty of tricks to cram into those bags; and that's before they negotiate their way past the post-storm 'devastation' to get to the airport on time.

“We're up on a hill in Brooklyn so we were spared a lot of the really bad stuff,” Trixie Little reveals. “We didn't lose power or anything, but yeah, lower Manhattan is a mess. Monkey drove in there tonight and said it was really eerie. Apparently it was like driving through a ghost town.”

As if late season tropical storms weren't enough, it's also election season. Trixie laughs at the idea that nature has put a temporary stop to politics. “Yeah, that's such a relief because it's terrifying over here,” she sighs. “Everyone's just really worried that Romney's gonna win.” With so much rich content on their doorstep, you can't help but wonder if they are tempted to weave some of it into their upcoming Australian shows. Trixie is clearly tempted but then demurs. “I mean, we don't do political humour really. A few topical things but, y'know, we try and keep it a little more universal.”

Indeed, in the decade since Trixie and Hate Monkey burst out of Baltimore and onto the then newly emerging burlesque scene, they have met with nigh universal acclaim, picking up a swag of awards, (including Best of Burlesque in 2006 and King of Boylesque in 2010 at the Las Vegas based Burlesque Hall Of Fame), and starring in Speigeltents and fringe festivals across Europe and North America.

“I think it's that we combine sex and humour,” Trixie Little declares. “We're very inclusive too: gay, straight, male, female, whatever it is. It's pretty basic in a way but also very smart and creative. We're not trying to alienate anyone and we like to poke fun at ourselves.” The duo's comedy and song ladened shows certainly mark them out from the plethora of increasingly cut/copy burlesque acts on the market. “I think a lot of the burlesque scene takes itself too seriously,” Trixie says. “Y'know, people trying really hard to be sexy. Anyway, we don't really have that problem.”

However, when they finally make it past Sandy's leftovers and wing their way to Harvest, Trixie Little & The Evil Hate Monkey will be trying hard. Having played similar events previously, they are well aware that festival crowds are a particular challenge. As Trixie duly notes, “People aren't obligated to stay and you hope that when you start your show you can convince them to hang around for an hour. But y'know, they didn't pay to just come see you.”

Perhaps this explains why the duo's Harvest slots will feature eight of their greatest hits, including Monkey's famous tutu routine, Trixie's banana peel striptease and the pair's much loved signature piece, Total Eclipse Of The Heart. “That's the one we usually make our living with. They fly us around the world to do that one,” Trixie quips. “I always say that I know exactly how Bonnie Tyler feels because we get asked to do that act over and over again. I feel like sometimes we're a one hit wonder, but y'know, the song is so epic.”