AFTER a gap of a couple of years, Jorian Gardner, former Multicultural Festival Fringe director, is about to descend on Canberra with a show to be called “Comic/Strip” – yes, that is a double entendre. 

Gardner and director barb barnett have been busy transforming the Canberra Theatre’s Courtyard Studio at the Canberra Theatre into an exotic bar and cabaret space, and are not ashamed of indulging in music hall-style hyperbole to talk up the performers.

So we’ll be seeing “the delightful Miss Darby DeVotchka (Canadian-born bad girl)”, “the intoxicating Ivy Ambrosia (Penny Vaile)” and “the beautiful Chocolate E. Claire (Claire Prior)”, and so on.

“I wanted to get back in the game,” Gardner told “CityNews”, “I concentrated on other stuff for two years.”

That “other stuff”, including his radio work with 2CC, followed his departure from the Fringe after ACT Labor minister John Hargreaves gave the event’s funding to the National Folk Festival, a decision recently reversed.

Now Gardner’s back with a vengeance.

“I love burlesque, I love comedy and there is so much talent in the Canberra region,” he says.

Gardner, who thrives on alternative theatre and cabaret, has noticed that, since around 2000, cabaret has been taking on the edginess of burlesque.

In 2009 when Gardner’s season “A Stacked Deck Burlesque” packed in 1800 people over three days, there were complaints that Government money was being spent on striptease.

“It’s not just striptease,” he argues. “That’s the attitude I want to change, I’m presenting good old-fashioned variety, stand-up comedy, and musical performances… it has an edge to it, a bite to it, I love my comedy with a ‘bitey’ edge.”

Gardner reckons he’s snared the best of the best, with stand-up comic Jay Sullivan – “the funniest man in Canberra” – hosting, drag queen Tammy Paks, “the alluring and the hilarious Miss Tiffany Blue” (who’s invented something called a “burlequeasaurus”), Ali McGregor’s “very messy” burlesque routine and a more erotic kind of burlesque from Miss ?eker Pare.

“At the end of the day, all I’m doing is putting together one fun night,” he says.

“Comic/Strip – The Burley Griffin Burlesque Variety Hour and a Bit”,The Courtyard Studio, 8pm, October 10-13, bookings to 6275 2700 or www.canberraticketing.com.au Warning: the show is not suitable for children.