Coming Out Cod brings ‘roaming burlesque’ to YK’s Fishy People

A roaming burlesque show will take the floor at Yellowknife’s Fishy People restaurant this Saturday, with all-you-can-eat canapés.

Hosted by Ruby Slickeur of Parkas & Pasties, the event – dubbed Coming Out Cod – will feature burlesque performers Stella Gams, Jolie Fromage and Miss Sadie.

The idea of roaming burlesque involves performers engaging and interacting with the audience rather than performing on a stage.

“It’s a lot more of an intimate experience than, say, going to Top Knight and sitting at your tables and watching the stage,” said Slickeur.

“It’s a really unique opportunity to try a new format and connect with the audience in a different way, that I’m not sure Yellowknife has had before.”

The season closer of the self-styled “fin dining” restaurant is part of a bigger plan to contribute to the revival of burlesque in Yellowknife. According to Slickeur, the city is experiencing a spike in interest for the art form, especially from people who have little to no experience performing.

“There’s a resurgence, but there aren’t as many shows as there used to be,” they told Cabin Radio.

“I’ve always called burlesque a medium through which other mediums can thrive, and I think that a lot of the cabaret arts tend to be overlooked in the arts community, so creating a range of spaces for them is really important.”

Slickeur hopes the event will encourage more people to engage with burlesque and find ways to incorporate it into Yellowknife’s arts community, saying it offers a space for people to have fun and be as they are, especially after the pandemic.

“People are starting to feel more comfortable leaving their homes and they’re looking for entertainment,” they said.

“What better way to do that than an intimate night of cocktails, canapés, and people shaking their butts?”

The show takes place on April 29 from 7pm. Ticket information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.