National Trust To Stage Burlesque Dances To Attract New Visitors (PICTURES)

National Trust To Stage Burlesque Dances (PICTURES)

This summer, The National Trust will adopt a new method to attract visitors... burlesque dancing.

Lola Lamour and her entourage -- complete with "corsets feathers and pearls" -- may be a far cry from the staid image of woodlands and stately homes, but organisers claim the performance "will be an homage to traditional Victorian entertainment".

Indeed.

Lola Lamour, burlesque dancer

The event, which takes place on Saturday 22 June in Killerton, will form part of a two-day vintage experience. Organisers hope to bring in new faces after last year saw a 4% decline in visitors across the country.

Shelley Barnes from event organisers 'Crikey It's Vintage' told The Telegraph that there will be no nudity.

“It is a family event, so the burlesque dancers will be quite tame," she said. "It is supposed to be a bit light-hearted. They won’t be getting completely naked, let’s put it that way."

"This is a new and exciting event," Felicity Boucher from Killerton said in a statement. "We’ve never tried anything like this before but the back drop of the house and garden seemed like the perfect setting for an evening of cocktails and nostalgic appeal.”

What do you think of The National Trust's attempt to update its image? Let us know in the comments below.

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