Welcome to the NEW Miss Burlesque Ireland!
Welcome to Miss Burlesque Ireland 2018.
We are delighted to back for our fourth National competition and thrilled to be moving the show to the fabulous Liberty Hall Theatre. There will be several exciting changes for the competition!
Under the executive production of A’dora Derriere Miss Burlesque has undergone a major transformation to bring the competition into the next generation.
Interested in applying? Check out the application page and updated rules.
Miss Burlesque Ireland will now be comprised of 3 sections – the red carpet parade, and two performance sections – the traditional and the unique section. While they sound familiar there are a number of changes within the judging criteria for each.
We will be accepting 6-8 competitors based upon their application and there will not be any semi-finals.
Stay tuned to our facebook pages for all the updates!
On announcing the changes to the competition the Australian producers opened up for question time and received some fantastic responses from those still
considering their applications. If one of your questions hasn’t been answered, please feel free to email us at [email protected]. We welcome and encourage open
dialogue to make this competition the best it can be.
Q&A
I don’t fall into either of the two gendered categories that are present in the Miss Burlesque/ Mr Boylesque Ireland competition – can I still enter?
Gender and its presentation and portrayal has a rich history throughout different eras and styles of theatre and burlesque is no exception to that. The Miss Burlesque competition aims to be as inclusive and diverse as possible. We encourage transgendered persons, drag performers and any artist who identifies beyond the binary to enter and continue bringing new perspectives to the burlesque stage. While the titles “Miss” and “Mr” may be polarising, this competition has celebrated gender bending performances, trans and non-binary artists, drag kings and queens, and strong representation from the queer community throughout it’s eight year history, a legacy that we’re proud to continue long into the future.
Choose whichever category you feel you can best perform within. We are looking for the best acts and performers to put onstage. We want to celebrate you and however you want to present your character both on and off stage. We are 100% behind LGBTQI performers and want to see everyone well represented on the MBA stage.
The new rules state that “modern big band swing” can be used for the Traditional category. Can I use Postmodern Jukebox?
We encourage contestants to use music that reflects the era in which their traditional act has been inspired. This year we have opened the music up to include modern jazz recordings, however we recommend the style be in line with your era. For example, modern remixed versions or modern recordings that a heavily post production and sound manipulation wouldn’t sound authentic to the era. Consider whether the music would be able to be played by a jazz band used to accompany dancers in the past. However, due to time and technical restraints we are also unable to accommodate full live bands.
What we mean by modern big band – is modern bands recordings of popular jazz standards or melodies. We would recommend against using Post Modern Jukebox as they cover modern songs,. We would like to guide you to be as authentic as you can with your music choice. However, the rules are intended to be a guideline for you – we encourage you to use your own your critical evaluation to interpret these rules. If in doubt, check in with your State producer.
I’m applying for the Grand Final, is it just up to the producer if I get in or not?
This will be the first year that applicants will go through a selection panel to choose which contestants will go through to the Grand Final.
It is essential to provide a video of your work alongside your application. Once your application is received, it will go to the National Producer and they’ll send you an email back to say that your application has been received and will be reviewed. Once applications have closed a panel will review the applications and make their selections and 6-8 performers will go through to compete for the Grand Final.
Is Mr Boylesque happening for 2018?
No. Mr Boylesque Ireland will be going ahead in early 2019. With the help of some of the previous winners of Mr Boylesque Australia, the competition has undergone some updates, the complete list of new criteria is available on the website. Details on the venue and dates for Mr. Boylesque Ireland 2019 coming soon.
Can I change specifics once I’ve been accepted?
You absolutely may, we understand that sometimes things don’t work out, and ideas change and evolve while developing any new solo act, so as long as your act still falls within the time restrictions and you don’t have any music clashes with other contestants.
My act that I want to submit isn’t finalised, may I still apply with it?
Absolutely you may. Give us as much detail as you have so far and simply put in brackets that it’s (under construction) or (in development). The purpose of initially vetting the act concepts is to make sure that acts fall within the suitable guidelines and do not contain themes such as cultural appropriation or depict violence against women.
For the video answer in the application it doesn’t need to be of the act that you are submitting itself. Just send us in a video of one of your performance that best showcases your performance style.
Are the three performance sections weighed equal in scoring?
The competition will be comprised of three marked sections – the Red Carpet Parade, followed by the Traditional and Unique Routines. Each section has their own scoring requirements. The three performance sections are not equally weighted. The Red Carpet Parade is worth less than the two routine sections.
The Traditional section and the Unique section are weighed equally across a points based system.