Packed with sultry dance routines, positively glittering with showbiz glamour, and fresh from making its West End debut last year, Burlesque The Musical has now embarked on its first-ever UK tour. The hit stage show is based on the 2010 film of the same name starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, the latter of whom played the part of Tess, the owner of a struggling burlesque club.

Musical theatre afficionado and one-time Corrie actress Faye Brookes has stepped into Tess’ bedazzled heels for the touring show and is really relishing the challenge of playing such a formidable character - as she explains to What’s On...

Based on the hit 2010 movie starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, and set in the dazzlingly sequined confines of a glamorous New York nightclub, Burlesque has now found its natural home on stage.
For Faye Brookes, who plays nightclub owner Tess in the production’s first UK tour, the film represented a new way to appreciate the magic of musical theatre.

“When the film came out, it was ahead of its time - I felt like it was already a cult classic,” Faye told What’s On. “As a musical theatre girl, I was just mesmerised by these characters - I fell in love with musical theatre all over again when I watched Burlesque.”

The hit show follows small-town singer Ali Rose as she searches for her biological mother and makes a splash on stage at the Burlesque Lounge, a financially struggling nightclub owned by Tess.

“Tess has a real emotional arc, and I go on a rollercoaster throughout the entire musical,” says Faye.

“There’s something in Tess that’s in all of us. Whether that’s trying to make a business work, whether that’s trying to survive being a human - trying to do well at her job, and trying to make sure that everybody around her is good. That’s basically what a mother does, putting everyone else’s needs before her own. Also, knowing that she has this legacy on her shoulders - that this was her mother’s club, this was her grandmother’s club, this was her great grandmother’s club… That pressure on Tess is definitely a burden but also a blessing, and you start to see the cracks throughout the show.

“I’m embracing Tess in a way that I’ve never done with a character before. She’s older, she’s wiser, she’s a boss - she walks into a room and owns it! There’s no messing with her. I’m really enjoying that element of the character, because in my previous roles, I’ve probably played the likes of Ali, where I’m a doe-eyed, princess-like [character] who’s discovering myself. Tess isn’t that. So for the first time ever, I’m really stepping into a new era - really embracing the stronger female role.”

Faye has also found that the on-stage family spirit of Burlesque has transferred to the rehearsal room - as has the protective and supportive nature of her character.

“Hands down, I’ve never worked with such a beautiful company before. I was really proud, from the moment that I met them, to see their talent, to watch their confidence grow and blossom as individuals, and then to take on whatever we have faced, keep rising, and to keep showing up for one another. We’ve finally got to a place where our show is being praised - five-star reviews. Everybody’s come together daily, to be this family and to look at one another and to truly love and respect one another. There’s no cattiness, there’s no divide. We are one, and I think it’s so beautiful. I’m getting emotional just talking about it. I’m just really proud of them. I’m in a different place in my life, where I’m not only taking on the role of ‘mother hen’, I’m [actually] being mother hen to them.”

The production has now embarked on a national tour, which continues until next May. It stops off at Birmingham theatre The Alexandra this month, then returns to the Midlands in 2027 with a visit to the Wolverhampton Grand. Faye has a well-practised routine as she travels between cities - although she’s pleased to be accompanied by a furry friend...

“It helps that I’ve got my dog touring with me. Even though I have four dogs, Bao has been my shadow from day one. He toured with me in Chicago, and my other dogs are happy to be at home with my husband. So Bao is like a bit of an emotional support for me. He gets me up as well - wherever we’re staying, he gets me out. That routine is good, because then I get fresh air and I get to exercise other than dancing and working out in a gym. I have my little routine of supplements and skincare, and whatever I use on tour, that’s usually what I use at home - I swear by it. I’m just sat in my LED mask with my dog and a matcha - if I can do all the things that I love to do, then I show up a happier human at the theatre, and then I can just be Tess, the baddest bitch ever!”

Faye has long been a fan of musical theatre, but she still has one role which she would love to add to her CV - and her love of the part goes right back to her theatrical roots.

“I would love to be Audrey in Little Shop Of Horrors. It’s been a dream role of mine since I was at high school and one of the backing dancers. My best friend played the dentist, and we both sat there like, ‘God, it would be amazing to do this professionally.’ We were 14… I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself to play that role, because with a dream comes pressure, and then it becomes unreachable. If I get to play the part, it will be a chapter of my life that will be pure joy, because it’s one of my favourite musicals. I’m just going to put that out to the universe and see what happens!”

Back to Burlesque. The soundtrack boasts hits written by the likes of Christina Aguilera, Sia, and Todrick Hall, but even with a selection of audio treats throughout the show, Faye can’t help but choose Tess’ big number, You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me, as her favourite musical moment in the production.

“Diane Warren, thank you so much for that ballad!” she says. “There are too many good songs in this show. Too many. I Got It All From You, which Ali sings, is another beautiful ballad. And I love when the boys sing Natalie - I feel like I’m back to being a teenage girl, and I’ve got *NSYNC posters on my wall! I get transported to that era. There’s something for everybody.”

Burlesque shows at The Alexandra,  Birmingham, from Tuesday 6 to Saturday 17 October. It then returns to the region in 2027, showing at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 6 to Saturday 10 April

By Jessica Clixby