Playwright Ellen Chorley introduces new work with Ghouls Ghouls Ghouls.

By Ben Blyth

Ghouls Ghouls Ghouls is a devilishly wicked show from Edmonton’s famed burlesque troupe House of Hush. The story follows ghost-hunter extraordinaire Scarlett Von Bomb (the “Lara Croft” of the Edmonton Ghost Finders’ Society) as she searches for spirits amid the forgotten corridors of the Varscona Theatre. It is here she encounters our host, Rowena Revenant (a delightfully sardonic Nikki Hulowski), who guards a spectral secret of her own.

Playwright Ellen Chorley’s integration of the host and kitten into the narrative was especially clever, as Rowena and Scarlett pass a delightful hour summoning a range of ghosts from theatre’s twisted past. These are brought to life in bedazzling detail by LeTabby Lexington, Violette Coquette, Jezebel Sinclair, and Sharpay Diem. The detail on each of the costumes was stunning, the choreography enchanting, the soundscape breath-taking, and the message truly powerful. While the lighting may have been stark in places, Ghouls seamlessly laces burlesque classics with issues of consent and empowerment and is a triumph in contemporary burlesque.

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