Three burlesque performers on stage at Cosy Cabaret, Nottingham Feb 2026 – including a comedic character act, a glamorous singer in red sequins, and a theatrical character in vintage costume, with “From The Front Row” text overlay.

From the Front Row: Cosy Cabaret and the Joy of the UK Burlesque Scene

Dressed To Thrill| Off Stage & Unbuttoned

February 18, 2026•4 min read

There is something deeply joyful about sitting in an audience seat instead of standing in the spotlight. Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of attending Ruby D’Woo’s Cosy Cabaret at Alea Casino in Nottingham. And my goodness, what a line-up!

As a burlesque performer myself, I adore watching artists within the UK burlesque scene who inspire me, stretch me, and occasionally leave me open-mouthed with admiration (and sometimes tears). Cosy Cabaret delivered all of that and more - a glittering reminder of what a talented producer Ruby is in the Nottingham burlesque community.

Titsalina Bumsquash

Oh Titsalina Bumsquash, can we just…?!

My second time of being an audience member during her hilarious compèring skills at Cosy Cabaret! Multi-talented in her kazoo playing, her crowd management skills with the one finger salute and her anatomical directions for people lacking knowledge of the whereabouts of the clitoris - a particular favourite for me in my professional sex coach capacity!

If this lil’ lady ever opens her books for tutelage on hosting a show, I will be showing keen interest - I simply love her!

Eliza Delite

She certainly put a spell on me all those years ago! Eliza Delite was one of my inspirations to become a burlesque performer myself from watching her in the Gilded Merkin shows. Her presence is ethereal and angelic with just the right dash of naughtiness. Her costumes are fantastic. I love her Praying Mantease act - the song stayed in my head for days and the colouring of the costume fabric felt magical.

Donna Ponderosa

This was my first time watching Donna Ponderosa perform having followed her adventures on social media for quite awhile. It was captivating: her energy, her musicality, costumes, and just the sheer size of her smile. She really communicated hi-fi energy to the audience and I was super happy to be watching from the front row. I loved the Hispanic vibes she brought to her choreography with samba- and salsa-inspired movement.

Kiki Lovechild

What can I say about this performer??

This is also somebody I used to adore from Scarlett Daggers' Gilded Merkin productions. He has been the cause of numerous aching muscles with the amount of sheer unadulterated belly laughter that he gives me. This was my first time seeing his Jessica act (LOVE Jessica! 🫶🏼👏🏼🥰) and also his Butterflies act. It is absolutely incredible to me that someone can communicate such a diverse range and depth of emotion without even using one single word because yes, I applauded this act with tears streaming down my face. Again.

They say never meet your heroes but this is certainly one time that old adage is definitely not true.

I had the absolute joy of performing in the same show as Kiki Lovechild in November 2024 at the Qurveball Burlesque produced by Phoxy Qurvy, and he is genuinely one of the nicest, warmest, kindest human beings with insane levels of talent and encouragement. I chatted with him after the Cosy Cabaret and

I don’t think I will ever not feel star-struck.

Demi Noire

A queen!! I had the pleasure of attending Demi Noire’s Musicality workshop in Nottingham a while back and so I can’t tell you the joy I’ve had at seeing her perform at a few events.

What a firecracker!!

The musicality en pointe, the timing and audience engagement points were inspiring and I continue to learn from watching this master at work.

Dominus Von Vexo

Wow, their energy!! A last minute addition to the line-up, Dominus Von Vexo certainly did NOT disappoint with their pirate antics! As audience members we were all seated but I think we would all have agreed that we needed a sit down afterwards! Boundless energy! I’ve enjoyed two of Dominus’ performances when they performed at my debut burlesque performance, SexyBack, in February 2024 and I really hope I’ll be able to attend one of their own productions in Birmingham soon!

Ruby’s Deluxe

Ruby’s Deluxe, the sensational, award-winning burlesque troupe featuring Kore De-Light, Luna Blaze and Roxy Codone, debuted a brand new showgirl balloon-pop act — and what a treat for the audience. It was especially lovely to see Kore De-Light back on stage after a lil’ break, radiant as ever. Together, this trio brought feathers, balloons and sass a-plenty. Polished, playful and utterly captivating in their own individual ways.