BRIEFS in London: Fabulously filthy fun that will leave your eyes popped and your jaw dropped
Briefs in London will leave your head spinning with joy. (Supplied)
Briefs in London will leave your head spinning with joy. (Supplied)
As soon as I saw on my ticket that I was going to be sat in the ominous “splash zone”, I should have known that I was in for a good time.
It wasn’t until the end of the show that I got a light sprinkle, thanks to some pretty mesmerizing water bowl acrobatics, but I certainly didn’t have to wait until the end for the good times to start.
This is BRIEFS, from the outrageously queer Australian performance troupe Briefs Factory. They’ve been around since 2008, but for the uninitiated, the BRIEFS experience is a delicious emulsification of drag, dance, comedy, theatre, burlesque, acrobatics, circus arts and clowning.
It’s a lot to pack into a two-or-so-hour show, and it’s fair to wonder whether these are jacks of all trades, and masters of none. But trust, each artist here is a master, whether they’re spinning on a cyr wheel, dangling from aerial silks, or contorting their bodies into frankly absurd shapes. And they’re doing it all with an anarchic attitude every night until the end of the month at London’s HERE at Outernet.
The evening is led by emcee, ringleader, bearded queen and Briefs Factory co-founder Fez, who delivers off-the-cusp, end-of-the-pier humour with just a dash of heart. Behind them at any one time you might see the flips, kicks and high heel clicks of bedazzled drag queens Nastia and Serenity.
You could see the swishing of a burlesque fan held by co-founder Mark Winmill. Or, in the case of acrobatic clown Rowan, you might just see some penis. If you’re lucky enough to be perched in the front row, you may even find yourself drinking a cocktail through a straw that’s lodged through a pair of nostrils. Don’t ask us to explain, it all makes sense when it’s in front of you.
This is racy, risqué performance art, but it’s also just that: art. The level of skill, thought and intelligence in each routine radiates off each performer, and you’re left both completely in awe, eyes popped, and extremely – as Fez’s catchphrase would put it – jealousssss of their talent.
At one point, Fez notes that the group have failed to secure government funding back home in Australia as they aren’t seen as having “artistic merit”. I must admit, before entering the venue, I too was apprehensive. Was it all going to be a little cheap? But, as circus performer Dale ate a balloon and two swords, I ate my words.
If BRIEFS doesn’t have artistic merit, the rest of us have no hope. It’s fabulously filthy fun, and I’d happily watch it again tonight.
Tickets for BRIEFS at HERE at Outernet in London are available now, with performances scheduled until 26 July.
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