Burlesque performer and circus ringmistress Roxy Stardust tells how her gran Joan inspired her to live a life of adventure and to raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland.
"If someone offers you a job in the circus, you don't say no. So when I was asked to be ringmistress with the Great British Circus, I had to do it.
"I’ve been working in cabaret and burlesque since I was 18, hosting events all over the world, and for the past eight months I’ve been touring with the circus in Malaysia. It’s a dream come true and I owe it all to my granny Joan. She was my best friend and my biggest supporter.
"Joan passed away in 2020 aged 83, about seven years after being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. It was a really tough time but she never lost her wicked sense of humour and we always saw the funny side of things.
"She was a seamstress, so we’d always make costumes and dresses together. We would sing and dance and write songs. If there was trouble to be had, we were in on it. She really was the person that encouraged me to follow my dream to be a performer. She said to me: ‘we always knew you were never going to have a normal job’, and she was so right.
"I wish she could’ve seen me at the circus, standing in the ring in my glittery trousers and top hat. Being a ringmistress is a lot harder work than people think – making sure things are running properly backstage, helping with choreography, and making sure the acts know where to be. In certain cities we also need to make sure the show stops at the correct times for prayers. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind but I love it.
"When we found out my gran had dementia I was performing in the States and I called her and told her I didn’t know what to do. She told me: ‘You just keep going hen.’ That’s one of the reasons I work so hard and I’m so determined.
"We’re from Glasgow and both love musical theatre so after her diagnosis we had fun taking famous songs and making them Glaswegian. When she passed away I decided to make them into a show called Songs in the Key of Glasgow, which I’ve performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and in Perth, Australia.
"I wanted the show to be a really fun celebration of her life but also to encourage people to find out about dementia and for anyone in similar circumstances to know they’re not alone.
"I’m 35 now and over the years my gran met so many burlesque performers that she earned the nickname Granny Stardust. Sharing stories about her in my Fringe show, I’ve had lovely reactions. A few people told me: “I feel like I have a gran now”, and I’d say “Joan was everybody’s granny.
"At each of the shows I collect donations for Alzheimer Scotland. That’s really important for me because I don’t want my career to be just about making money. I want to put more funds into research and to support the vital services that Alzheimer Scotland provides."
Thank you Roxy Stardust for sharing her story in dedication to her gran Joan.