Feminist comedian attacks decision to use strip club as Festival venue

However, one of Scotland's largest strip clubs has been unveiled as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's newest venue.

Sapphire Rooms, which offers pole dancing, striptease and private lap dances, will host live music, acrobatics, burlesque and art exhibitions throughout August.

One performer said Fringe chiefs were colluding in the "exploitation" of women, while another has accused feminist critics of being puritanical.

The Lothian Road establishment, which promotes itself as a "discreet" gentlemen's club, will take on its new role from Sunday, 7 August.

Comedian Liz Ely believes Festival organisers have made a serious error by granting official venue status to a lap dance club.

The Edinburgh-based feminist performer said: "I guess the Fringe think they are being radical and pushing the boundaries by holding events in a strip club, but all they are doing is supporting the dominant culture which exploits the bodies of women via the wallets of men.

"The event literature describes the venue as 'decadent', but I'm not sure what's decadent about watching performances in a place where a bunch of sad old businessmen and boozed-up sweaty stag parties pay to see boobs."

However, Dr Sarah Vernon, whose PhD examined the socio-political impact of stripping in Scotland, defended the club's right to be included in the world's largest arts festival .

She said: "There is no reason why a venue that provides striptease-based entertainment should not be part of the Fringe.

"The idea that a performance space automatically has no artistic value simply because it is a strip club is unfair, illogical and judgemental."

Swedish-born photographer Jannica Honey accepted a commission to capture images of the women who work at Sapphire Rooms, which will be displayed in an exhibition entitled Pot of Dreams.

Alex Smith, the owner of Sapphire Rooms, hoped the Festival shows would help to challenge stereotypes. He said: "We wanted to give people who might not normally go into a strip club the opportunity to put their preconceptions to one side, see a show and make their own minds up.

"We are aware that not everyone approves of strip clubs, and there will be an exhibition on the history of pole dancing and lap dancing. The girls were keen to tell their story and have put together biographies, which will be displayed alongside the photographs, explaining why they chose to go into striptease. They wanted to say 'Hey, we are not exploited. This is our choice'."

A Festival Fringe Society spokeswoman said they had received no complaints about Sapphire Rooms and stated: "As an open arts festival, any venue which is programming events or shows is welcome to join the programme."