About

From the high-glamour sparkle of the international burlesque circuit to the dark, seedy underbelly of the queer club performance scene. Lillian Starr is known around the world for her audacious, conceptual and layered routines that cross the divide between performance art and burlesque. Wacky and glamorous, her shows are a skilful perversion of ‘traditional’ burlesque, set to musical gems.

Lillian has been performing in the Australian Burlesque scene since 2005. She was a headline performer of the 2015 Australian Burlesque Festival and has represented Australia at the New York and Paris Burlesque Festivals on several occasions. For several years, she toured toured with the original sell-out Star Wars Burlesque and Bent Burlesque. She has taken her highly stylised and unique approach to her solo shows across to other mediums, stretching the reach of burlesque’s possibilities.  In the art world, Lillian has presented installations in contemporary art exhibitions at galleries such as the Carriageworks in Sydney
Lillian’s performance at the 2011 New York Burlesque Festival was celebrated by 21st Century Burlesque Magazine as one of the “Top 5 Performance Highlights of The Year.” And of her performance at the NYBF 2013, “Lillian Starr should be an inspiration for us all… to go home and try new things.” -Burlesque Beat Magazine. the last three consecutive years, she has taken the title at the Australian Burlesque Industry awards as the “Most Innovative Performer” in Australia, with the title of “People’s Choice” of NSW in 2013 and 2014.

Over her busy 10 year burlesque performance career, she has had a wide range of creative experiences, performing in New York, Paris and Berlin and all around Australia for both mainstream and queer Burlesque events. She has been a two-times Show Director for The Sleaze Ball/Mardi Gras parties on the Hordern Pavillion stage (2008, 2009), has modelled with quirk and gusto (despite her modest height) on the runway for Australian Fashion Week as well as countless film, photography projects and life drawing projects. She has starred in music videos, drag shows and educational events. She is the face of “The Vintage Tailor”s 1940s fashion line. She has been selected to create shows for the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of NSW, The Sydney Mardi Gras and The Vanguard and consults with many creative groups. She has posed for french photographer Emile Jouvet and iconic lesbian photographers Tina Fiveash and Lady P (AU), for Dr Sketchy’s art class in in l’Atelier Gustave, Paris and the Arthouse of Sydney and performed in drag at the Kunsthaus modern art gallery in Switzerland with The Kingpins.

Her performances are memorable and punchy, and reportedly provide good dinner-party fodder. Nostalgic in style, yet progressive in concept, this is burlesque transported to our postmodern present, where the role of women, their desires and subjectivity often take an entertaining and unexpected turn. With her sharp vintage aesthetic, broadway camp, thrilling physical abandonment and narrative humour, you’re guaranteed to gasp!

SELECTED PERFORMANCE HISTORY

Festival Performances:

Australian Burlesque Festival Headliner (2014)

New York Burlesque Festival (2011, 2013)

Paris Burlesque Festival (2011)

Sydney Festival (Spiegeltent, 2006, 2009, 2010)

Fete de la Musique, Paris (2008)

Australian Burlesque Festival (2010 – 2014)

Sydney Burlesque Festival (2006)

Adelaide Festival (2010)

Adelaide Fringe Festival (2014)

Adelaide Cabaret Festival (2011)

Woodford Folk Festival (2008-9)

Bluesfest (2009, 2010)

Parklife (2010)

Berlin Gay Pride (2008)

Gallery Performances:

Carriageworks: “Betablockers”: Endurance performance as part of “Day For Night” (2015)

Art Gallery of New South Wales: Commissioned performance for the opening of  “Mad Love:  Modernity in German Art” exhibition (2011)

National Gallery of Victoria: Commissioned performance for the opening of the Salvador Dali “Liquid Desire” exhibition. (2009)

Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney: Go-Go dance installation with Tasia (2010)

Kunsthaus Contemporary Art Gallery, Zurich: “Mystic Rehab” by the Kingpins. (2008)

Party Performances:

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (2006-2009)

Velvet Hammer (2013)

Sleaze Ball (2004, 2008, 2009)

Inquisition (2009)

Black Cherry (2010 – 2013))

Red Rattler NYE (2009)

Other Burlesque Nights:

Gurlesque, 34b, Mr Falcons, Doppelgänger Dames,  Oxford Art Factory, Hellfire, The Annandale Hotel, The Evelyn (Melb), Dr Sketchy’s, The Burlesque Ball, A Velvet Affair, The Peel, etc.