COMES ROARING BACK

As Dita Von Teese comes to Dublin to perform her Glamonatrix show, is this a sign that the decadence of cabaret is about to boost morale after an economic disaster? Again...

Historically, cabaret has been a prominent cultural element in times of healing after global disasters and economic downturns. So much so that maybe our actors, circus performers, cabaret and burlesque acts could rescue us from the great depression that is threatening to dominate our post-Covid world. It may well be that soon, we will rely on the entertainment industry like never before.

It’s a common misconception that burlesque cabaret was a subculture that emerged in the 1950s – it was prevalent long before then. In the wake of World War I, the 1920s was a decade which took on an ‘anything goes’ atmosphere as an emotional reaction to the collective trauma suffered. It was an inclusive cultural movement which helped set rich and poor barriers aside – all classes were celebrating and doing the Charleston, not just the elite.

Despite dealing with the fallout from the war, along with the crippling Spanish flu pandemic, the 1920s had somehow brought about a new liberalism, with breakthroughs in technology making it possible for more people to communicate and express themselves.

It became a hugely creative time with ideas that conflicted with the traditional thinking soldiers left behind when they went off to fight. Pacifism and spiritualist movements grew during this time.

Louis Armstrong started improvising and playing in a style known as jazz and soon jazz clubs were cropping up around the US and Europe. Paris became the centre for counterculture, with expats from around the globe flocking to wild parties and the new racy clubs. Stars like Josephine Baker, the AfricanAmerican exotic dancer, moved there and became superstars. Germany began releasing pioneering films like Metropolis and The Blue Angel. London’s infamous Bright Young Things hosted extravagant city-wide treasure hunts and raunchy parties, making headlines on a regular basis.

More than any other author, F Scott Fitzgearld captured the rollicking, tumultuous decade in his 1925 novel The Great Gatsby. Hailed as the quintessential portrait of Jazz Age America, from its wild parties and illegal