It’s the weekend of the first snow of winter in the Highlands and also a night where most of the country will sit indoors to see if Scotland’s mens team can qualify for the world cup next year.
But there’s something else going on, an evening of variety and cabaret at the Kirkhill Community Hall.
It promises laughs, magic and sexy acrobatics all in an effort to raise funds for the Highland Hospice.
It’s got to be worth a look so off we went into the inky darkness of a November Highland night in search of some ‘over 18s only’ entertainment.
The hall was packed and not just with locals. The word had got around that it was going to be a real spectacle and the crowd had arrived with substantial BYOB carry outs to help fuel the night. Game on.
Host for the evening was the very dapper Joe Sweeney, just back from performing his comedy show in Spain, Liverpool and Glasgow, to name a few of the venues. He set the adult themed tone with his trademark naughty comments about life and love, after which the lights dimmed fully and it was the Polerox Performance Stars up first. Led by Rachel Brandon, a neat use of black light effects made them literally glow in the dark.
Comprising ladies of various ages, they showed that you don’t have to be young and fit to both entertain and enjoy yourself at the same time. A slick stage routine followed by some amazing pole dancing on poles strategically placed in the audience was completed by two of the company members using silks and ariel dancing to create a mesmerising finale.
Then we discover that they were all amateurs and this was their first ever performance in public. Wow. As each dance was introduced their reasons for getting involved was also explained, for company, to keep fit and to gain confidence were among the most common cited.
We then had the delightful duo of Billy Macdonald and George Sutherland add to the variety with a short country set while the dancers caught their breath backstage.
Up next was ventriloquist and magician Kenny McCallum, a man who wasn’t shy inviting audience members on stage to help him out, variety indeed.
The second half was more of the same although Billy and George appeared as ladies this time, adding to the entertainment. As we headed to the final curtain, though, Sugar Browne made her appearance. A drag queen who has performed all over the world, Sugar was back in her home town and happy to help. A powerful climax ensued with Sugar and the pole dancers captivating the audience, who to add to the party, took to dancing in the aisles.
So thank you Rachel, Ashley, Cat, Helen, Isabel, Kayleigh, Linsey, Sarah and Mhairi for creating a great show. Backed by the other professional acts this made for a tremendous debut. If I were to try to encapsulate it in a few words, I’d say it was a female version of the Full Monty, hopefully they’ll be coming to a venue near you soon.
