Behind the SEQUINS

The Moulin Rouge's artistic director JANET PHARAOH on inviting cameras backstage for a sparkling new documentary series

- EMMA BULLIMORE

MOULIN ROUGE: YES WE CAN-CAN!

WED, 10PM (TIMES VARY), BBC2 FACTUAL (BOX SET, iPLAYER)

Few things scream French glamour more than a cancan dancer performing at the Moulin Rouge. But behind the sails of the famous red windmill, you’ll find a troupe comprising showgirls from around the world – a third of whom are British – choreographed by Yorkshire-born artistic director Janet Pharaoh.

Having started dancing at the age of five, Janet first came to Paris to appear in the cabaret as a performer in the 1980s, but, over the years, she has moved into management, overseeing everything from costumes to recruitment.

Now, a new six-part BBC2 documentary, Moulin Rouge: Yes We Can-Can!, follows Janet as she puts on shows every day of the week, maintaining the highest standards. She also returns to her home town of Leeds to hold auditions for new recruits after the pandemic left the high-kicking ensemble low on numbers.

Here, in an exclusive interview, Janet chats to TV Times about what life is really like behind the glitz and the grandeur…

Did you have any nerves about letting cameras backstage for this series?

Yes, you do wonder what it’s going to be like. But the team were very nice, and very discreet.

It was a difficult decision to let somebody be there all the time, not just for me but for the dancers and especially the new recruits we follow in the show. But they coped very well with the pressure – they were brave to agree to it.

Are people often surprised that such a legendary Parisian cabaret club is run by a woman from Yorkshire?