Kit PetersShe ran away with the circus, swam with sharks and became the ‘Mother of Welsh Burlesque’ — and now her life story is coming to Swansea Grand Theatre
Most people’s careers follow a fairly predictable path. Stephanie Gawne’s involved running away with the circus, swimming with sharks, performing as a showgirl across the world and — eventually — becoming the woman credited with founding the burlesque scene in Wales.
Now the woman known as FooFoo Labelle is putting all of it on stage. Showgirls & Sharks — an autobiographical two-person musical — comes to Swansea Grand Theatre on 26 June as part of a Welsh tour.
The show tells the full arc of Stephanie’s life: trained ballet dancer, glamorous assistant, circus performer, international showgirl, and eventually the founder of Cardiff Cabaret Club — which she has run for more than 18 years, producing over 250 sold-out burlesque shows in the Welsh capital.
But for all its feathers and sequins, this is not a show that shies away from the harder parts of that journey. Struggles with self-image, ageing, ambition and the misogyny of the entertainment industry all make it on to the stage — delivered through song, dance and, by the sound of it, a lot of laughs.
Stephanie is joined on stage by multi-talented actor-musician Jenna Dyckhoff — composer, musical director and master of over 15 instruments. The pair have been working together for three years and describe their creative partnership as an unlikely but electric one, with a 30-year age gap between them and a shared diagnosis of neurodivergence.
“We never stop laughing,” said Dyckhoff. “Steph is such a powerhouse and working with her on this show is just lush.”
Stephanie said she hoped audiences would recognise something of their own lives in a story that, on the surface, is quite unlike anybody else’s.
“Whether we’re swimming with sharks, or sitting at a desk, everyone has a story to tell,” she said. “I think that people will connect with my journey.”
The show is directed by Nerida Bradley, a Welsh theatre director who described it as a story about gender, ageing and finding your place — delivered with what she called “high octane silliness.”
“What makes this show so special is its high octane silliness and the amazing rapport between Stephanie and Jenna as performers,” Bradley said.
The tour opened at Blackwood Miners Institute on 22 May and visits 11 venues across Wales, with Swansea Grand Theatre on 26 June the headline date for south Wales audiences.
Pre-show workshops are also being offered at each venue, focusing on confidence building, movement and storytelling using the playful language of cabaret — something Stephanie said was central to the spirit of the tour.
“I’ve spent over 20 years teaching and building communities in Cardiff through confidence-building dance,” she said. “It’s important to me that I get to share some of that knowledge as well as share stories and experiences with people across Wales.”
Tickets for the Swansea Grand Theatre performance on 26 June are available at swanseagrand.co.uk/ShowgirlsAndSharks.
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