Meet Miss Rosie Bitts

The real Rosie Bitts could probably sneak past you in her loose jeans, casual clothes and light makeup. With her demure behaviour, she probably wouldn’t call attention to herself.

She has two children and a husband to take care of full time and runs errands in Chemainus where she lives.

But Miss Rosie Bitts the burlesque starlet? She’s another story.

“She’s just really high maintenance,” said Rosie, who, in the grand tradition of burlesque performers, won’t have her real name in print.

Safe to say, however, it certainly isn’t Rosie Bitts, a name Rosie chose because she wanted something cheeky.

“It’s hard to be Rosie for long periods of time,” Rosie said of her alter ego, noting she’s a larger than life character, who puts in a full two hours on hair and makeup prep before a performance.

“My regular self is a lot more demure. I’m probably a lot more grounded.”

However, the transformation is not without its perks. “It’s quite liberating because I get to decide exactly who I want to be,” Rosie said. “I’m allowed to be outrageous. It’s a lot of fun.”

Rosie explained burlesque as usually a body strip tease, mixed with comedy, political satire and music.

“You get to create whatever you want,” Rosie said, adding you can take off as little or as much as you want.

Rosie has about 16 performances, ranging from the classic 1950s strip tease to a statement about excess and the idea of beauty in society.

“Burlesque is an odd art form,” Rosie said, pointing out it can be, and is, performed in venues from dingy pubs to fancy theatres.