Widely credited with bringing the artform to the mainstream in Europe over the last decade, Immodesty Blaize has one of the most memorable faces- and bodies- in burlesque. She's taken her talent from intimate clubs, to the stages of the west end, to Las Vegas where she was crowned reigning queen of burlesque in 2007. Her clientele include Dior, Cartier and Damien Hirst, whilst she's shared bills with the likes of Goldfrapp, James Brown, Gloria Gaynor, Nick Cave and Scissor Sisters.

Proving that she's not just a pretty face, Immodesty has published two novels, produced a cinematic documentary about burlesque and addressed audiences on various cultural themes at Oxford University and the Hay Literary Festival.

We spoke to Immodesty about Hoxton Hall's heritage, the inspiration behind her acts and bringing burlesque to the masses.

RR: Tell us about the show you'll be performing at Hoxton Hall…

IB: They say that the best things come in small packages, and Hoxton Hall has a petite stage, so I'll bring something that fits into its bijou space. They've selected a great line-up of performers for the show and I was delighted to be asked to be part of that to contribute to their fundraising. I’ll perform an extract from my new material that I prepared last year, and perhaps a little crowd pleaser too if I can find something to fit. No big production, just me and a tiny stage...like the old days!

RR: How did you get involved with Hoxton Varieties and why have you chosen to support Hoxton Hall’s fundraising campaign?

IB: Hoxton Hall were big supporters in the early burlesque revival days. By 2004 I'd wanted to push burlesque into theatre as I’d done my time in the clubs by then and earned my stripes. At a time when the household awareness of burlesque was limited it meant the only way to start the ball rolling was to produce my own shows with the aim of building audiences and then moving the shows into theatre spaces. I had to start small, and a music hall was ideal. Hoxton Hall was supportive of us and our show at a time when theatre doors were firmly shut to the genre.

We started with a week run, with my co-star Walter and his amazing Bollock Tassels. He used to strip from Steed from the Avengers into an immaculate Liza Minnelli from Cabaret, and for one of his other numbers he progressed from ZZ-Top to Britney Spears via Tammy Wynette. I haven’t yet seen anyone to match his genius boylesque, he was way ahead of his time. They were great experimental days.

So when Hoxton Varieties approached me to support them this year, it was an unequivocal yes from me, as without them, I wouldn’t have had the stepping stones to take the show to the West End, and perform in palaces, international theatres and on prime time TV which would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. I think you have to remember where you came from and the people who believed in you, and then give something back. Hoxton Hall is a great vehicle for creativity for our community and one of only two surviving authentic music halls in East London. It’s part of our theatrical heritage. Though I still don’t know how I ever managed to squeeze my horse onto their stage!

RR: You're often credited with bringing burlesque to the mainstream- is that something you set out to do?

IB: Absolutely; it was tough to get burlesque stage space in the new millennium, and usually if a challenge is thrown at me I’ll take it on. To start with I was performing in places like Raymond Revue Bar, JoJo’s, Bethnal Green Working Men’s club and Whoopee a decade ago (before there were even such things as cabaret listings) But I had a vision for making bigger shows, and that meant being in a theatre. Plus a spectacle has to be paid for. Stage sets, crew, a good cast, etc have to be paid out of ticket money, which means growing audiences bigger than a couple of hundred people in a club. But even with a bigger production, you're only reaching a handful of people in comparison to the millions you can reach via TV to spread the word.

I got opposition from both sides; especially when I re-introduced burlesque into the West End theatre in ‘05. There was cultural snobbery from theatricals looking down their nose at burlesque as not real theatre, and dragging up hackneyed arguments about posh strippers, and on the other side was positive cultural snobbery from the cabaret aficionados who felt that burlesque should be kept ‘gritty’ and edgy and underground, and that any show where the artist had invested some hard-earned money in their show must be commercially selling out.

But I don’t believe in keeping a genre exclusive for a clique, I believe it should be made inclusive and welcoming for everyone, and I’ve always gone down the route of growing new audiences and preaching to the unconverted. There’s always something magical about a certain point in time when something’s underground, I’m sure many people would have loved to have kept the Sex Pistols in the Marquee or 100 Club for all-time; but for a genre it’s not sustainable and trying to hold on to that moment for dear life is futile, as genres evolve and develop and go off in different directions, and green shoots grow for new styles and artforms.

I’ve fulfilled what I originally set out to do for burlesque, I put it into legit theatre and on TV, I opened doors for stage space for the genre and helped change closed-minded attitudes, I showed it was ok to not be size 0, I made a documentary for cinemas round the world, and I represented British burlesque in Las Vegas and brought home the Reigning Queen crown.

Now I’m designing new material in a different vein as I have a new set of goals I want to achieve. I love that there is room for all kinds of styles and content for a range of audience tastes now; audiences can choose what they like and they have a wide choice, which is brilliant.

RR: Do you think burlesque has helped encourage people to celebrate a more diverse range of body types?

IB: Yes. When I was first in the press a lot I used to receive tons of fanmail from girls with eating disorders. Some of what they shared in those messages (especially the pictures) could be quite distressing for me, and some very poignant, where they thanked me for being out there on stage as a non-size-zero. I even received fan letters from personal trainers who wanted their clients to stop thinking only 'skinny'.

The irony was that I had a medical condition that meant I carried more weight around that time, and I experienced a kind of backlash from some performers when I was able to get the right diagnosis and get back to my natural weight. It was a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' moment.

But even when I'm light, I'm not built to be tiny, my natural shape is hourglass, and I embrace that. Accordingly it remains my mission to encourage women to find acceptance for their bodies and fly in the face of the overwhelming mixed messages we're fed by the media about how we should look.

I always encourage women to get back to their own highest values, instead of placing their value in the opinions of others. I was physically bullied as a child for having cat-eyes and not looking like all the English kids; this kind of experience stays with you and makes you want to help or reach out to others in the same position who feel unhappy with their bodies or their looks. I’ve always tried to stand strong as a diversity ambassador. More than spending all my time just talking or theorising about it, I get on stage and make an example that you can make being different and unique your power.

RR: You've worked with some fantastic designers to create your costumes and incredible props like your giant rocking horse and 6 foot vintage telephone- where do you get inspiration for your outfits and acts?

IB: Really anything - primary sources, not other performers. Art, travel, cinema, sculpture, music... for example the telephone idea came when I was listening to Blondie’s ‘Hangin’ On the Telephone’ backstage one day. I was mulling over hanging off my own giant phone, and wondering how I’d make it work as a wider concept. I thought about my favourite film noir films like Dial M for Murder and Double Indemnity; where the telephone was integral to the plot. So ‘Giant telephone’ and film noir styling came together with the film noir soundtrack for Man with the Golden Arm.

My High Priestess number which I’m performing an extract from for Hoxton Hall was inspired by my cultural European roots, and my convent school upbringing.

RR: You've performed in some incredible venues like the Royal Opera House and Blenheim Palace- if you could perform anywhere in London, where would it be?

IB: I’ve already ticked a few off my bucket list…so maybe something counter intuitive now?

RR: Are you planning on writing any more books? And do you have any more television appearances planned?

IB: I’m currently writing my third book. It’s non-fiction and I’m so excited as it’s a very special project close to my heart. And no, it's not an autobiography! But it came about in an extraordinary way. Yes there’s more TV ahead too.

RR: Are there any other artforms you'd like to try your hand at?

IB: I’m an art geek, and I came to burlesque through my drawing, painting and film-making (as well as my early stint in a strip club!) I’d love to make time to draw and paint more. I often need to break out the sketchbook and get drawing.

RR: What advice would you give to anyone starting out in burlesque today?

IB: Everyone has to start somewhere. Explore and experiment, let loose, be authentic to your personal tastes and inspirations. Be good, do whatever you need to improve; take dance classes or find a mentor. Know that there’s a difference between the scene and the industry. Be confident to walk your own path, and above all have fun. It’s sexy to smile!

You can catch Immodesty Blaize on stage at Hoxton Hall in Hoxton Varieties; celebrating 150 years on 8th November, tickets here.