Burlesque! RIP Bettie Page, hello Scary Spice, Hurly Burly live in London

I'm sure you heard that Bettie Page, 1950s pin-up girl, burlesque icon and tireless exponent of the short fringe, died on Friday at the age of 85.

Reading her obituary in The Guardian I realised that, although her face is instantly recognisable, Bettie Page's private life was something of a mystery. I mean, did you know that, at the height of her fame, she jacked it all in to become a born-again Christian? Or that she was charged with attempted murder and committed to a psychiatric hospital? (More after the jump)

"When she was arrested for waving a pistol in public, [third husband Harry] Lear bailed her out and allowed her to move back into his house. Three months later, she held Lear and his three children at knifepoint, threatening to kill them if they took their eyes off the portrait of Jesus she was holding in her other hand."

It's a shame that so many icons of Bettie Page's stature, such as Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe, have led such tragic lives. Does beauty go hand-in-hand with sadness, or are their entire careers based on craven attention-seeking as a result of an unhappy childood? Or is it less black-and-white than that?

Whatever the story, it's little wonder that we prefer to remember them as their shining, exuberant and - in Bettie Page's case - ground-breaking images.

But as one burlesque star fades, another rises. Yes, Scary Spice is going to star in her very own topless Las Vegas burlesque show. Er, except she won't be topless - she'll be "scantily clad, but in a sexy way" as Peep Diva, part of the Peepshow performance at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, from the 30th March 2009.

If you prefer your burlesque festive and closer to home (although, as someone who lost her Vegas virginity this year, let me tell you it's amazing. The stuff of dreams), why not pop into London for the Hurly Burly Revue Show?

After languishing in the Soho Revue Bar for the last two years, Miss Polly Rae and her troupe will be performing at the Leicester Square Theatre on the 19th and 31st December, hosted by the "dark prince of cabaret", Mr Dusty Limits.

To be quite frank, I'd probably go to anything if it was hosted by someone who referred to themselves as a "dark prince".

Image courtesy of Professor Pigg's photostream.

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