The Briefs boys are perennial festival favourites who have sold out shows worldwide for the last ten years. This WorldPride, they are back for the Sydney premiere of their brand new show, Briefs – Dirty Laundry at the Seymour Centre.
After the lockdowns caused by the unspeakable ‘C word’, they have a lot of Dirty Laundry to air in this unmissable performance which is bound to be a major hit at WorldPride.
Read more: Justine Clarke examines and brings to life ‘misogyny speech’
‘Kevin from Ipswich’ (creative director Fez Fa’anana aka Shivanana) leads a brilliant crew of performers who had the audience gasping, stamping their feet, laughing and cheering from the glamorous opening dance number, performed in silk dressing gowns and featuring fluffy white spheres. We sensed that a fabulous party was only just starting and we were right.
The acknowledgement of country was truly special and heartfelt, as Kevin encouraged us to feel the ground we were standing on while acknowledging the custodianship of First Nations people. By recognising the past while expressing optimism for the future, this bound the audience and performers in a palpable connection that filled the air. Kevin’s relentlessly smart, sassy and unmistakably Aussie brand of humour was the perfect vehicle to whip the audience into a frenzy for the smorgasbord of delightful entertainment which followed.
Every single act was a highlight. There were hilarious queens in fluoro fishnets and killer heels who stumbled across a hula hoop, which quickly became a dazzling routine with the hula hoop aflame.
What looked like a balloon was inserted, stretched and pulled into way too many bodily orifices. A hesitant contestant proceeded to complete a dazzling gymnastic routine with multiple flips while keeping her wig perfectly in place.
All the while, dirty laundry was constantly being aired, occasionally flung at the audience, and lazily spun around in washing machines. Listen out for confessional, where Kevin reads aloud notes written by the audience about their deepest, naughtiest secrets.
Audience left in a state of delirium
My personal highlights include ‘Broome boy’ Louis Biggs’ cheeky juggling act performed to Salt and Peppa’s Push It. The man certainly knows how to handle his balls, but somehow manages to lose all his clothes along the way. It would be an understatement to say that he left the audience in a state of delirium.
The stage darkened and the crowd fell silent when Thomas Worrall appeared for his routine on the aerial hoop. The silence did not last long, as he blew us all away with an unbelievable display of strength and agility. The applause was deafening as he started spinning faster than our eyes could see.
Kevin informed us that it’s a Briefs tradition to have a raffle at every show. Glittery raffle baskets were passed along the audience while Kevin kept up a hilarious routine of quips, jibes and personal observations. I wonder if eventual winner Benji knew what he was in for. Suffice to say that many audience members would have been jealous not to win a raffle with “contemporary dancers who identify as strippers”.
Briefs Factory is an Australian creative collective who manufacture, cultivate and present evocative, irreverent physical performances. Inspired by circus, drag, dance, burlesque, comedy, and the ever-changing world around them, they are committed to producing safe, inclusive and collaborative works that give more depth, voice and narrative to a vast spectrum of individuals often described as marginalised.
As promised, this is a night of intoxicating physicality, gob-smacking comedy and ridiculous showmanship. But Briefs: Dirty Laundry is much more than that. It’s also about delivering uncomfortable truths while creating genuine connection. Ultimately, it’s an intoxicating burst of pure joy and pleasure which will make you forget the outside world and leave you howling with delight.
- Book your tickets here.
- Dates: Tue Feb 28 – Sat Mar 4
- Where: Seymour Centre, Cnr City Rd and Cleveland St, Chippendale NSW 2008