Boulevard |

We went to this venue with another couple and not knowing what to expect, we were prepared for anything.

The venue is situated in the centre of Newcastle, close to The Centre for Life, and major bus and rail routes. There is also ample on and off street free parking so even if arriving by car there is no issue with parking.

When we arrived there were people standing outside, very much dressed up and then I remembered that the website states that you should "dress to impress". Jeans are ok, although the dress code states that there are no: baseball caps, tracksuits or tracksuit bottoms sports, beach and above the knee shorts football shirts or work wear such as dirty overalls permitted in the venue. I think this is fair enough given that it is a night out.

The building is pretty unprepossessing from the outside and so we couldn't imagine that inside would be anything as I would imagine a burlesque venue to look like. There are lots of gold and purple chairs dotted around the place and the stage itself is all very opulent and predominantly gold and purple. We sat in the VIP area on velvet chairs and were served by a waiter so we didn't even have to leave our seats to get a drink! The bar itself is on the ground floor level where people can stand and watch the show although the bar is cleared of all drinks for the grand finale (The Wizard of Oz) when the dancers dance on the bar. There are also 2 other bars so no need for anyone to wait for a drink.

The shows are basically productions of female impersonation with a chorus of show boys and girls performing everything from slapstick comedy to well choreographed dance routines with very ott costumes The star of the show is Betty Legs Diamond who apparently spent 15 years entertaining audiences in Blackpool's Funny Girls.

The Host and Compere, is Miss Rory who keeps everyone entertained throughout the evening. When we went she was happy to play any requests and read out any dedications; all people had to do was fill in a card with a request and/or dedication and hand it to Miss Rory. A very funny lady, she manages to be humorous and witty all night, commenting on the audience whilst never insulting anyone.

The show consists of a series of short sets, with the cast singing and dancing their way through the songs. Some of the dances can veer towards the quite risqué but there is nothing really rude and certainly nothing offensive. It tends more to the funny and there were times when we were all laughing out loud.

It costs £4 for a standing ticket, which is downstairs just next to the stage. The prices then range from £20 for a seated ticket up to £30 for VIP seating, which is where we were.

VERDICT...

I had a quick look on trip advisor and this venue has become Newcastle's number 1 attraction for entertainment. It's not difficult to see why! A great night out where I was entertained for three hours. The sets are quite short with time in between to chat and listen to the compere.

From not knowing what to expect, we had a great night and would certainly go again.

Thanks for reading

Daniela xx

CONTACT:
Telephone: 0191 250 7068

Email: boulevard@pureleisure.co.uk

Address: Boulevard, 3-9 Churchill Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4HF