A CELEBRATION OF PERFORMERS OVER 40 IN THE PRIME OF THEIR LIVES
Welcome to Prime Time!
The Prime Time Burlesk Festival, created by Ana Seethe and Emmeline Spankhurts, will showcase the talents of performers over 40 years of age in burlesque and variety that are not able to equitably access performance opportunities as their younger counterparts.
By showcasing the talents of performers over 40 years of age we aim to empower older performers and highlight that aging out of performing doesn’t have to happen, that all shows can benefit from including the talents of older performers in their cast.
The Prime Time Burlesk Festival over the 17th and 18th May 2025 weekend will be an extravaganza that only age and experience could create. Dancing with decades of energy, crafting stories that hold secrets yet comfort hearts, and unlocking the sensuality that only age can perfect.
Logo Rochelle Buckley Art
MEET THE PRODUCERS
Ana Seethe and Emmeline Spankhurts met backstage many years ago.
Emmeline has been assisting Ana backstage for some time, and it was a natural progression for these two Gen Xers with a love of non conformity, rebellion and weird started co-producing together in Sydney with their show Bitesize Burlesk.
Emmeline and Ana share a love and passion for the burlesque artform, in all of its styles, for all shapes, ages, abilities and genders of performers.
Ana Seethe
Ana started burlesque in 2016 as part of Diesel Darling’s Troupe. With a long history of studying ballet and other forms of dance, music and movement in her youth, it wasn’t long before Ana made her soloist debut the same year, and then started producing in 2017.
She first produced variety shows in the Hawkesbury, creating tailor made productions about coming of age in the 90s. Most recently, she has produced "Ferociously Forty and Rising" - a burlesque show for performers aged 40+ at Sydney Fringe for three seasons.
She has also performed at Rule 34, The Comedy Burlesque Hour and Burlesque in Hand, in addition to other Sydney shows.
Being Gen X, a first generation Australian and brought up to be married off in a patriarchal society (which she failed), Ana has a special place for Neo Burlesque - allowing performers to do whatever they feel the urge to do to share their story with the world.
Ana may be all sweet and smiling, but she has an untameable wildness behind that good girl facade. She is always looking for the next barrier to break.
"It's time for performers over 40 to shine, and show how magnificent they are!"
Emmeline has been going to burlesque shows since 2008 and started going to classes in 2010, promptly falling in love with the art form. It would take her another 6 years to get on stage as a soloist when she joined Satin Spitfire’s performance course.
Emmeline especially loves the weird and wonderful side of neo-burlesque, taking her own unique side to the stages of Rule 34, The Comedy Burlesque Hour and Burlesque in Hand.
She loves a good sparkle and tapping into her nerdy side, bringing characters to life for the stage with ridiculousness, drama and flashes of resting bitch face.
Ana and Emmeline also co-produce Bite Size Burlesk, a neo-burlesque focused show held on Wednesday evenings, about every second month.
Primetime Burlesk festival is a great opportunity to team up and showcase fellow performers who are over 40 who bring cracking acts and attitude to the stage.
"We can show audiences that being over 40 doesn’t stop us being great at what we do!"
