Church leaders in a Highland town were yesterday concerned to hear that a local hotel is putting on a male strip show this weekend.
Ossian’s, in Fort William High Street, was granted an adult entertainment licence last November and it will be used for the first time for a “ladies night” on Saturday evening.
The event, featuring The Sassy Boys, is advertised around the town on posters displaying photographs of the bare-chested Edinburgh-based dancers.
The Rev David White, of the town’s Baptist Church, yesterday said: “I just think it’s sad – whether it’s men going to view women or women going to view men.
“Both are equally sad and a reflection on the society in which we live.”
He added that, as a cleric in Fort William, he was concerned about the “spiritual and moral wellbeing” of the society in which he lived. He said: “I don’t think events of this kind are to the betterment of society generally.
“I’m sure women will flock to see men taking their clothes off, but I can’t for the life of me see why.”
And the Rev Gordon Mair, of Fort William Free Church, said: “This event is in poor taste, lowers the moral tone of the community, panders to a basic sensuality in us all and may lead to other less savoury consequences.”
Hotel owner Janice Wallace, 59, defended the event, saying “it’s not a strip club or a brothel or a lap dancing club, it’s just an occasional night out”. She said the venue would take around 150 people and tickets for The Sassy Boys Ladies Night were selling fast.
Mrs Wallace said: “Some girls in the town asked me about holding a ladies night last year. We now have a licence, so we thought it would be something to brighten things up after Christmas.
“They are professional male dancers based in Edinburgh. They frequently appear in Edinburgh and go all over the country. We’ve got three dancers coming and we’re expecting a really good night.
“Anyone who is going to be offended doesn’t have to come. If you buy a ticket, you are making a choice.”
Sassy Boys manager Erwin Kisielewski said: “It’s a very classy show. We just do dance routines and take our clothes off.”
He added that they wear kilts for their final act and only do a “Full Monty” if the person who booked them requested this.