Theatre, fireworks, making people laugh, skip-diving, film, kayaking, horseriding, wannabe skydiver, reading, creative writing, showing off, posing, politics, my degree, my friends, burlesque, pin-up girls, travel, kissing, the internet, events co-ordination and arts administration, rockabilly gorgeousness, piercings and tattoos, corsets, dressing up in general, music, dancing about, making my plans for stardom and going to the pub too much. Jumblesales, charity shops, freeganism, squats, living as an artist, geekism, poetry and quirky romance.
Music
Swing, soul, ska, rock, gypsy madness, bluegrass, blues, sea shanties played by First Mate Aste, anything I can behave like a lunatic to the sounds of. Flanders and Swann, Tom Lehrer, Fantasmagoria, Gadjo, Tom Waits, Devotchka, Top Shelf Jazz, The Puppini Sisters, Kevin Quian, The Tiger Lillies, Depeche Mode, David Bowie, The Dresden Dolls, Danko Jones (thanks Ruth!), Dolly Parton, Alisha's Attic, Prince, Nikka Costa, Johnny Cash, Black Gospel, The Noisettes, Ani DiFranco,Garbage, Jerry Lee Lewis, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Rob Zombie, Joan Jett, Mozart, The Pipettes, Ray Charles, Paloma Faith, Luddy Samms and Back To Basics, The Commitments, ahem Aerosmith.
Movies
Grizzly Man, Shortbus, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, anything with a heist in it, The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Kuhle Wampe, Tim Burton related fun, Crazy in Alabama, Mexican cinema in general but particularly E Tu Mama Tambien, The Little Mermaid, Gormenghast, Belleville Rendezvous, Empire Records, Bill Bailey's 'Part Troll', Secretary
Television
Is for appearing on, not looking at
Books
All of them. As long as its not advertised on a train platform.
Heroes
My awesome brother, Oscar. My friends- I fucking worship you all. Timouthy Treadwell. Ray Mears. Mae West. Annie Sprinkle. Mabel Stark (lady tiger-tamer with a penchant for leather catsuits.Rarr!) Peter Suschitzky. Niagara. Joan Jett. Joan Rivers. Dolly Parton.
Goldsmiths College (University of London)
London, United Kingdom
Graduated: N/A
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: Theatre Arts and Drama
Clubs: Womens Society, Peace Campaign, Swingdance, Circus Club (soon!),
Current Courses:
Burlesque performers, circus folk and anyone with an affinity with nippletassles and winking in a saucy manner. Also quite serious and politically based academic theatre bod.
OpheliaBitz New Blog with Time Out recommendation and cheap ticket offer... view more
About me: Raised in the wilds of darkest Dartmoor by wolves and tinkers Ophelia Bitz has been strutting her stuff on the stage since the age of 3 and has been dodging rotten fruit and stage-door Johnnies ever since.
***** The Scotsman
An infamous trouble-maker and agent provocateur, Bitz's none-too-shabby academic career took a turn for the fabulous when she ran screaming for civilisation and landed on her dinky feet in London town. Accounts of being chased out of the village with burning pitchforks remain officially undocumented but entirely plausible.
" A stunning zaftig cherub" The Independent
Forging an accidental career as a comic burlesque dancer (most noted for her anatomical bar-tending and animal puppet porn shows) and singer whilst studying Theatre Arts and Drama at Goldsmiths College, Ophelia Bitz has worked with some of the entertainment industry's biggest names. From televised hypnotism with Derren Brown (2006) and head-lining Tim Burton's Halloween party (2006) to touring with The Tigerlillies (2008) and opening The Dresden Dolls' UK tour (2006) and music videos with The Puppini Sisters (2008), Bitz has seen it all and drunk them all under the table!
"Witty, dirty, fabulous. Ophelia Bitz is F***ing hilarious" Martyn Jacques, the Tigerlillies
"Brilliantly twisted" The Guardian
Less credibly, she was also Mika's dancing voluptuary (2007) until she was sacked for voicing her opinions on pop muzak and making off with the tour bus rider. The whole shameful episode has scarred Bitz for life but added fuel to her lust for massive audiences and media adulation.
"A backing dancer" Rolling Stone!
Other career scars come from Ophelia's love of side-show performance and she merrily walks, jumps and dances on broken glass and gobbles fire as hungrily as she does innocent victims and cocktails! If you're good she'll show you the 6-stitch beauty on her right foot, sustained in a pink prison in the Austrian countryside....Don't try this at home kids!
"Ophelia Bitz is a dirty, hilarious, perfectly-timed emcee" Molly Crabapple, Dr Sketchy's NYC
After several very successful years on the international circuit as a physical comedienne Bitz has done the unspeakable and resumed speaking on stage! An experienced and gifted compere and comedienne Bitz performs predominantly as a ring-mistress and mistress of ceremonies, bringing her strong vocals, outrageous humour and inimitable glamour to a stage near you! Lock up your daughters and all other valuables, this slap-stick pin-up relishes her reputation as a party mammal and dangerous dingbat.
" Inimitable potty-mouthed pin-up" Venue Magazine
Receiving 5-star reviews and sell-out shows for her 2007 Edinburgh Fringe run of international cabaret art salon Dr Sketchy's has only encouraged her in her quest for global domination through comedy, song, side-show, events production and unladylike deportment and will almost certainly end in an untimely (but fabulously dressed) demise. In leau of flowers please send rubber chickens and brandy coffee. Bitz will be remembered for her complete lack of shame, her erotic fiction, shoe collection and anatomical bartending
"The doyenne of the anti-burlesque" Dusty Limits
Here is a video directed by Alex De Campi what Ophelia wrote and performed and is filthily proud of. Appologies for the dodgy sound quality!
Dancing in her scanties on Channel 4 with Derren Brown
The Lowest Common Denominators! Ophelia Bitz and Tom Baker present a romantic sideshow cabaret for the twisted and jaded....
And here is some flashy circus-art stuff courtesy of Jodie Harsh and Malcolm Pate
Who I'd like to meet: All the freaks and beautiful monsters. People who want to pay me lots of money to compere fabulous events. My friends for a drink and a dance. Pretty ladies. My female Swann- see above. Must be able to play piano and wear round steel rimmed glasses. Makers and collectors of zoetropes, other optical illusion toys and automata.
Thanks for all your support! The show went really well at the Laugh Factory, and the turnout was great!
If you couldn't make it, I have uploaded to my profile seven ten-minute segments from this outstanding variety show featuring Old Time Music, magic, dance, comedy and fun!
You were right about that glitter, I found some in my bellybutton three days after the show!! It was fabulous to see you, Hopefully you are well. See you at the next hoochie coochie!
We're very glad to know you my dear, when you find the time, please do come and visit us at our main website where we have much for your perusal and hope you find something of interest!
Hi jim rose here. yes im the actor who plays the caveman on the commercials so now you have something to tease me about the next time we see each other. Im going to be in your area in the summer hosting rock shows and writing a new book about the people I meet on the road. We should throw a small party together. If you want to hang out ,message me at my other site here www. myspace. com/toohotforfizzle or go to my top friend(same site) We dont read the messages at the circus site. we are getting too many to handle there There are too many there and hard to manage
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