I'm not sure what people think about when they hear the word Burlesque so I went to review this show with an open mind.

To me it conjures up images of the Moulin Rouge, slightly risqué dancing girls and feathers.

At the end of the night it turns out I was half right, I just hadn't expected a comedy compare, magicians, comedians and a bald guy with a big green rubber balloon.

Burlesque has been around in various forms since the late 1800's with more modern examples being incorporated in to world tours by Madonna and the Pussycat Dolls, although tonight was more about putting on a theatre based variety show, something that they did very well.

As Burlesque, in this context, could also be viewed as a throw back to the days of vaudeville and a bit old fashioned I was also interested to see the composition of the audience. They turned out to be a mixed bunch of ages and surprisingly slightly more women than men.

The show started with a short routine from the Folly Mixtures followed by an individual routing and then Christian Lee a magician/comedian with a great routine peppered with gags. His (un) lucky helper Michael joined in the fun after being selected from the audience.

The evening continued with a mixture of comedy and traditional Burlesque routines with special mention going to Amber Topaz and Isabella Bliss for their individual routines that definitely brought back the glamour of days gone by (and lets not forget the bald guy and the balloon!).

To be honest there is no more nudity than you could see on a Bournemouth beach on a hot summers day and at the end of the night I left with a positive impression of the art of Burlesque having been entertained by a variety of acts across a number of genres.

If you are unsure of what to expect from an evening of Burlesque then go along and catch a show, you may be pleasantly surprised.