The Last Dance?

The Last Dance? describes striptease in pubs in London and the South East of England between 2007 and 2020. Though there have been several books written by dancers about British lap-dancing clubs, none has been published about modern strip pubs from the point of view of a customer. Stripping was once a regular attraction at British pubs, but by 2000 the number of venues was in a steady decline that was to continue in the face of opposition from local councils and feminists, the availability of pornography and new legislation. The industry may never recover from the restrictions resulting from Covid-19. The author describes all the well-known pubs of the last 13 years and includes most of those that had regular stripper sessions a couple of times a week. There are comments from several of the most popular dancers of the era. included are accounts of opposition from feminist and local groups and the evolution of new legislation and continuing criticism. Also described is the "underground" scene of "private parties". Threaded through the text are allusions to changing attitudes to sex and female nudity, commencing with the lesbian sub-text perceived in the 1953 musical "Calamity Jane" and concluding with "Go Topless" and "Free the Nipple" protests of the 2010s.