ROUGE

The ethos behind Rouge was to make a sexy circus cabaret - something fun, exciting and a great night out. ​ But beyond that, if we were going to make a 'sexy' show then it was going to be on our terms. When we look around at many of the other sexy circus shows, we see a lot of the same things. Pretty women dressed up like ornaments performing tease acts, while a high status male host has the most stage time. Performers playing out heteronormative relationships and sexual intimacy on stage. Women having no 'conversation' or relationship with one another, and playing out sexuality in a way that we see in the media, that is directed for the male gaze. ​ We wanted to make a show that followed the way we think about sex. And the first thing we wanted to do was not to take ourselves too seriously. Because if you are making a show about sex, let's start with the fact that sex can be silly, and awkward, and messy. That relationships can be complex. That funny is sexy, and sex can be funny. ​ We wanted to make a show that celebrated some of the things you don't see on stage very often. Queer relationships (including bisexual ones). Romance in non-exclusive relationships. Non-binary characters. Kink. Women having sexual freedom, autonomy and enjoyment, in a way that isn't being played out for the men in the room. Men sharing intimate moments that aren't necessarily sexual (though sometimes they are). ​ We wanted to provide space for our women to be fierce, strong and powerful. We celebrate the male performers being vulnerable with each other. We wanted to show characters that are fully formed people that our audience gets to know throughout the show. ​ And we wanted to do this in a way that was fun, light-hearted, and not preachy. When you bring Rouge to your venue, you're getting a show that is sexy, smart, inclusive, exciting, and a fantastic night out at the circus.