COUPLES have the chance to celebrate Valentine’s Day with titillation and tassles when Scottish burlesque princess Missy Malone brings her stage show to Didcot.

Missy, a stunning cocktail of 1950s' bombshell and classic rock chick, and her fellow performers will be teasing the audience at Cornerstone arts centre with their glamorous vintage-style show, but always in the best possible taste.

A veteran of the burlesque circuit though still only in her 20s, Missy is one of the heroines of the re-emergence of the art form, with her performances recreating the flavour of the shows from their heyday.

Missy aims to seduce your senses and suggest forbidden pleasures, while taking us back to a time when more was left to our imagination.

Her attention to detail borne out of a real love and passion for burlesque makes her vintage striptease routines and fan dances all the more alluring.

Missy told the Herald: “It’s a perfect Valentine’s night out for couples and singles alike, there is something for everyone!

“We have stunning dancers in the shape of the exotic Luna Rosa and classic showgirl Bettsie Bon Bon alongside playful comedy performances from Mysti Vine and clever puppetry from Kiki Lovechild. I, too, will be bringing my famed 1950s-style glamour and sass to the stage!

“So grab your partner or whoever happens to next to you for that matter and come to the show for a fun-filled night-out and festival for the eyes!”

Mistress of ceremonies Em Brulee - said by Missy to have “the voice of an angel and the mind of a devil!” - will guide the audience through the evening’s entertainment.

Missy is busy touring Britain with her show, but could turn her gaze across the Atlantic to the United States where in the 1860s burlesque became a British export with the arrival of actress Lydia Thompson and her British Blondes group. They proved a sensation with their shows in skirts above the knee, leading theatre owners to soon realise the audience appeal and, more importantly, the profits to be made.

Over the decades that followed up to the 1960s, burlesque artistes such as Gypsy Rose Lee, Tempest Storm and Sally Rand became international stars.

Since the mid-1990s, burlesque has undergone a revival, no longer restricted to dedicated clubs but being brought to mass audiences by theatres across the country.

The 2010 Hollywood blockbuster Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, has played a part in popularising it.

The Missy Malone & Friends Burlesque Revue will be performing a special Valentine’s Day show on Saturday, February 14, at 8pm with a guest compere and a best-dressed competition. The show is suitable for ages 16-plus.

Tickets at £17 and £15.50 (concessions) are available from the box office on 01235 515144.