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In 2015, after a series of false starts, I finally went out on my own — starting with a small group of students, choreographing routines for a semi-regular show at the Sovereign Hotel, affectionately known as "the Sov."
In 2016, I leased a small dance studio at 613 Flinders Street, Townsville, and launched VaVoom Room Dance. I added a few instructors, and we kept choreographing routines for regular shows at 'The Sov' with great success — producing student showcases every six weeks, often slotted into their midnight drag shows with only a few performance spots to work with. But we had so many students, so many routines, and the shows were so popular that we were eventually offered our own night with a full show lineup. We moved to Fridays at the Sov, and that's where VaVoom Room was truly born — some of us even danced on the bar, Coyote Ugly style.... was alot of fun!
After outgrowing that, in 2017 we moved our shows to a bigger venue at the back of the Herbert Hotel. I need to give full credit here to my partner, Diane, who from 2017 to 2022 single-handedly set up the stage, sound and lighting, then sat behind the desk running tech for the entire show — every single time, for five years straight.
We kept growing, our shows reaching huge numbers, and VaVoom Room became nationally known as a burlesque hotspot for performers. We also survived COVID. Then we decided to go all in — leasing a commercial bar and kitchen in the entertainment district on Flinders Street, soft-launching in November 2022, and opening full scale every weekend from January 2023.
What followed was a blur. Every Friday night we ran a new cocktail menu alongside a rotating lineup — scandalous sketching, Lissey Loushay cabaret, Social experiment (speed dating), stand-up comedians, sometimes karaoke. Every Saturday night we ran a brand-new burlesque variety show, featuring the full range of VVR performers — students, troupes, soloists, instructors testing out new acts, the occasional out-of-towner, and honestly, a glorious mash-up of Townsville's most eclectic entertainers.
After a solid, exhausting, exhilarating run, we closed the bar's doors in October 2024. Took a mini vacation. And then — because I just wasn't done yet — I convinced Diane, my poor long-suffering partner, to let me lease a small industrial warehouse in the Townsville suburbs. This was the 'Les Brown Lane' era: a smaller format, smaller classes, smaller audiences, launched in January 2025. More casual, more backyard burlesque, boobies and BYO — less about the venue and the alcohol, more about the entertainment itself.
It went so well that we grew again, and I convinced Di to let us move into a slightly bigger space right next door — more room, a bigger audience, a mezzanine, and even more fun.
But with all good things, knowing when to retire at the top matters. I turned 50 that year and started re-evaluating my priorities. I realised I wanted to stop worrying about ticket sales, course numbers, and keeping everyone paid and afloat in one of the toughest economies out there. So we closed — at exactly the right time, I think. Everything we owned — stage, sound, lighting, venue gear — went on to another Townsville venue, one supporting up-and-coming young performers. Perfect timing, all around.
For a long time I didn't know what to do with all this footage. I was proud of what we'd built, and I wanted to make sure my instructors' work was protected — so I just held onto it. Eventually I stopped filming altogether, unable to keep up with the full scale range of requirements to capture footage that pleased everyone.
But I'm proud of everything we made, and I'm glad it gets to live on. Some of what you'll find here is professionally edited. Some is raw. Some is literally security footage. Take it for what it is: a snapshot of VaVoom Room, a snapshot of Vivienne Starr, and a snapshot of the best burlesque around.
A friend once told me I basically put together the NQ burlesque mafia. Maybe we did.
Enjoy the ride!
Live stream preview
Watch this video and more on Vivienne Starr VVR Archives (VaVoom Room — The Full Story)
Watch this video and more on Vivienne Starr VVR Archives (VaVoom Room — The Full Story)
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Performance The Sov - Shoop (April 2017)
Final Performance...
Act: Shoop
Date: Apr 2017
Instructor: Vivienne Starr
Filmed: The Sov, Townsville, Nth Qld, Australia
Performed: The Sov, Flirt Friday
