Diamonds and Dust – Emerald Theatre

Picture: Chris Davis Studio

Diamonds and Dust continues at the Emerald Theatre, London until 28 September 2025.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

For as long as human beings have worn clothes, there has been a significant cohort very enthusiastic about watching them being taken off. Feminist thinkers have debated the ethics, but the move to not just turn this into an art, but to charge money for it has undeniably been a great boon for London nightlife. Regardless, judging by the demographics of the audience at the press performance of Diamonds and Dust – the brand-new show Wild West-themed cabaret/musical starring Faye Tozer and Dita Von Teese – burlesque in 2025 is for fun-loving people of any gender.

Connoisseurs of the medium may already be familiar with the venue. Formerly Proud Embankment, the renovation works to create the Emerald Theatre have certainly elevated this already luxurious space. From the extensive merch collection in the Charlotte Tilbury-branded foyer to the bars to even the toilets, this is a thoughtfully conceived new theatre. I can’t wait to see what other productions we get to see here in future.

Virtually everybody on Earth will be familiar with the star whose name looms largest on the poster: Dita Von Teese. In her decades in showbusiness, she has been credited with repopularising the artform, as well as reinvigorating it with shades of high fashion and fetish. This new London show aims to fuse Old West mythology, vintage casino culture and the glamour for which Von Teese is renowned.

Though we are treated to a unifying Wild West narrative and aesthetic, if you were to remove the cowboy hats and flannel shirts, the show that remains is markedly traditional cabaret. The audience is worked up into a rowdy stupor, the onstage acts drop your jaw in ways ranging from racy to dangerous, and – while they remain on – the outfits are truly sensational.

Diamonds and Dust co-writer Tosca Rivola is particularly stunning in gold as she showcases some impressive skills with whips and hoops, but it might be Manny Tsakanika who gets a particular demographic segment of the crowd the most riled up with a high-flying, Magic Mike-esque boylesque number that sees him literally swinging from the chandelier. And speaking of aerial shenanigans, the most purely breathtaking spectacle of the show is Zoë Marshall and Lady Lydia’s death-defying duet as they dangle from the ceiling. Lady Lydia also performs a mind-blowing solo aerial act that is as technically impressive as it is elegant. Incredible talent.

Throughout, the wider cast provides an effective sense of scale and extravagance as backing dancers. For the umpteenth and certainly not last time in this review, couture costume designer Jenny Packham and associate costume designer Jennie Quirk are getting a major shoutout and they deserve it. The skilled performers exude elegance as they make full use of designer Philip Gladwell’s set, showing off fantastic dance skills to Matt Nicholson choreography.

Tying all these acts together is Faye Tozer in the host role of Miss Kitty LeRoy. It’s this role that gives the show its narrative shape as she describes her character’s trials and tribulations as a sassy card shark moving from town to town and man to man. Taken as a piece of narrative theatre, the book is perhaps a little heavily written and Tozer’s tightly-scripted audience interaction is a little stiffer than one might be used to on London’s cabaret scene. Having said that, she nevertheless does a sterling job of keeping the crowd amped up and in the musical numbers her Steps-honed vocals provide the perfect backing to many acts.

And then there’s Dita Von Teese. Sorry to make you wait, but that is kind of her thing. She appears as Lady Luck for only two segments near the ends of the two acts, and both times her stage presence is breathtaking. Both of her outfits are so stunning that it would be a shame if she tore them off immediately, and fortunately, her style is all about the anticipation.

The gradual removal of a glove is somehow rendered strikingly sensual. Every micro-gesture is calculated and delivered gracefully. Diamonds and Dust is not as stylistically revolutionary as some London cabaret nights – particularly on the underground scene – but of this form of burlesque, Von Teese is the undisputed queen. Here is your chance to see a medium-redefining talent work her magic in a perfect, tailor-made setting, and the artists Von Teese has surrounded herself with in this show are the best of the best.

Though the marketing suggests this show knows the headline act is its main selling point, the brilliant work by everyone on and off stage gives me confidence that this will be a fantastic night out even on those dates later in the run when Von Teese’s role is played by London burlesque mainstay Didi Derriere. For one, Ms Derriere is a superb stage presence in her own right, but this is a strong show and would surely not be a disappointment to anyone wishing to experience traditional burlesque in an elevated form.

All this comes with a cost of course – especially for the dining options – but there are bargains to be had with a bit of searching online. As a newly built venue, there are few truly bad sightlines, and even most ‘restricted view’ seats give a decent view of most of the stage. But if you’re in any way interested in burlesque, why compromise? This is that medium at its peak, in a gorgeous and custom-built venue, and featuring its most iconic star. Perhaps you should treat yourself?

Ian Bowkett