Credit: Chase Stevens
By Grace Hatchell.
Burlesque can sometimes arrive wearing a very particular outfit.
You know the one.
Feathers. Fishnets. A raised eyebrow. Possibly a chair being used in a way its manufacturer never intended.
But The Cheesecake Burlesque Revue appears to have looked at the traditional burlesque rulebook, shut it firmly, covered it in glitter and used it as a coaster for something fizzy.
And frankly, I approve.
Making its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut in 2026, this Canadian company is bringing 20 years of curves, comedy, camp and confidence to theSpace @ Surgeon’s Hall.
The show combines burlesque with character comedy, quirky songs and theatrical parody, which already sounds less like a conventional revue and more like the sort of evening where absolutely anything could happen.
There are 12 performers in the ensemble, with the production moving between large group routines and solo acts. Some are glamorous and sultry. Others are absurd, satirical and gloriously silly.
In other words, nobody appears to have been told to stand quietly at the back and behave themselves.
Burlesque With More Than One Body Type
One of the most interesting things about The Cheesecake Burlesque Revue is its determination to challenge narrow ideas of beauty.
The company celebrates performers of different ages, body types and cultural backgrounds, using comedy, storytelling, pop culture and theatricality to create something broader than a simple parade of polished poses.
That matters.
Mainstream entertainment has spent years pretending confidence comes in one size, one age and one carefully lit shape.
The Cheesecakes seem to have responded by saying confidence can belong to everybody — and then adding sequins.
Their approach to body image and representation has been central to the company since it formed in 2006. This is not a fashionable idea recently clipped onto the production like an emergency feather boa.
It has been part of the company’s identity for two decades.
Is It Serious, Then?
Yes.
But also no.
Which is often where the best theatre lives.
The show’s ideas around representation and body confidence have real substance, but the production is described as light, high-energy and comedic.
There will be tightly choreographed routines, unusual musical choices and performances that move between spectacle and parody.
So you may leave thinking differently about beauty standards.
You may also leave wondering what on earth you have just witnessed and why you enjoyed it quite so much.
Both are perfectly respectable Fringe outcomes.
Twenty Years of Sass
The company has built a dedicated following through sold-out performances in Canada and internationally.
In 2024, it received the Burlesque Hall of Fame award for Best Large Group, recognising its contribution to contemporary ensemble burlesque.
That is no small achievement.
It suggests this is not simply a group arriving in Edinburgh with a suitcase full of glitter and a strong sense of optimism.
There is experience here.
There is craft.
There is choreography.
There is also, I suspect, enough sparkle to cause temporary problems for airport security.
Co-founder Champagne Sparkles says the company is excited to bring its work to new audiences and throw itself into the chaos of the Edinburgh Fringe.
And with a name like Champagne Sparkles, I feel she was always going to cope rather well with the Royal Mile.
So, Does It Throw Out the Rulebook?
It certainly sounds like it.
The Cheesecake Burlesque Revue does not appear interested in presenting burlesque as something narrow, intimidating or reserved for one particular type of performer.
Instead, it promises a celebration of confidence, comedy, collective joy and bodies that do not need permission to take up space.
It sounds glamorous without taking itself too seriously.
Empowering without becoming a lecture.
Camp without apology.
And if the company’s description is anything to go by, the audience will not merely be offered a slice.
They will be handed the entire cheesecake, a fork and strict instructions not to worry about the crumbs.
The Cheesecake Burlesque Revue runs at theSpace @ Surgeon’s Hall, Fleming Theatre, from 17 to 23 August 2026 at 10pm. The performance lasts 50 minutes and is suitable for audiences aged 18 and over. ( good job I carry my age id in my satchel)
The Cheesecake Burlesque Revue | Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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