MEET Miss Ooh La Lou, one of The Folly Mixtures at An Evening Of Burlesque at the Grand Opera House, York.

As Ian Dury might once have said, her real name is Sarah-Lou Buckle, she's very Essex, and she's doing very well as the vaudeville act who is a "Police Academy dream babe, a bit Britney, a bit Goldie Hawn".

She likes to be greeted as Miss Ooh La Lou when you call her on the phone, so "Hello, Miss Ooh La Lou" it was when What's On rang on Monday morning to take down her particulars.

"Originally I'm from Essex, but I've lived in North London for a long time," she says in a voice more stage school than estuary. "I trained at Italia Conti and I worked in musical theatre and then found my way into musical cabaret and burlesque when I auditioned for a troupe called Hurly Burly based in London.

"This is going back eight or nine years when burlesque was almost unheard of – how times have changed! – and I was auditioned by Polly Ray to do shows at the Soho Revue bar."

Lou, as we shall now call her after our more formal introductions, remembers those early days fondly. "It was a lot of fun, doing things people hadn't seen before, and coming from the world of musical theatre, where it was all choreographed and playing a scripted character, doing burlesque was such a contrast," she says.

She continues to enjoy those contrasts whether performing solo as Miss Ooh La Lou or in The Folly Mixtures.

"You can choose your costume, your music, your act. A lot of the girls in burlesque like nostalgic Forties-style attire but mine is more 'neo-vintage', more modern, poking fun at pop culture, such as a routine based on Flashdance and Barbie in a big Barbie box, with me as a life-size Barbie doll.

"I'd describe myself as half Goldie Hawn, half Britney Spears, though not Britney now or shaven-headed Britney. It's fun, it's tongue in cheek and I'm not scared to take the mickey out of myself."

The Folly Mixtures have expanded from four to ten in number, although the line-up varies from show to show, as does Evening Of Burlesque bill, which tomorrow could feature compere Ivy Paige, fire-eating Angie Sylvia, comedy magician Christian Lee and Kitty Devine, who swapped ballet shoes for stilettos.

"The Folly Mixture can do all sorts so we call ourselves the pick'n'mix of burlesque, with lots of different looks, different shapes, different mixtures," says Lou.

"There's definitely female empowerment in burlesque because it's about celebrating your personality. You don't have to be a 6ft 2 model; we like to represent a healthy, active body image, so that's where it differs from modelling. It's about loving yourself as you are; not taking yourself too seriously."

Miss Ooh La Lou may be a Miss but she has also become a Mrs, having married musician Gaz Twist.

"A few of us flew over over to Las Vegas and Gaz and I got married in the White Chapel in the afternoon and we then had a party in 'Paris'. Paris, Las Vegas style; the place that's shaped like the Eiffel Tower."

Ooh la lou, indeed.

An Evening Of Burlesque, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm. Tickets: "25, concessions £24, on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york