The Briefs crew deliver an exuberant, audacious, spectacular, loud and fabulously costumed night out. Photo: Alex Hoyles.
The Briefs crew deliver an exuberant, audacious, spectacular, loud and fabulously costumed night out. Photo: Alex Hoyles.
Briefs is everything it promises: it's an exuberant, audacious, spectacular, risqué, loud and fabulously costumed boylesque cabaret presented by seven accomplished artistes who each have unique contributions to make.
Contortionist/aerial hoop specialist Thom Worrell, banana and pointe shoe wielding "Evil Hate Monkey"(Adam Krandle), and hula hoop/aerial specialist "Captain Kidd" MarkWinmill are featured, interspersed with those of lip-synching bearded drag queen/MC Shivannah (Fez Faanana who was once training to be a rugby player), dancing/juggling/yoyo trickster Louis Briggs, quietly intense and shy assistant Lucky Charm (no name given), and statuesque drag diva Dallas Dellaforce.
The costumes are a special attraction: astonishing wigs and towering feathered helmets, sequined and spangled garments of every kind, splendidly oversized feather fans of several different kinds, robust jeggings, footwear that ranges from high heeled boots and sparkling diva heels to sneakers and bare feet; outfits which split, peel or unzip eccentrically for instant removal and an eye-popping array of decoratively pouched g-strings and associated novelty items.
Half the show is sumptuously costumed, and the other half is performed nearly naked, with strip routines done with alacrity. The seven men comprise an array of ages, sizes and shapes, sleekness and hirsuteness, with every sinew and muscle and tattoo revealed by the spotlights.
Q Theatre's Rangatira auditorium has been reconfigured to provide cabaret tables clustered around a compact thrust stage along with three seating blocks and a cash bar, with special table service of pre-ordered food platters, canapes and beverages.
There is also, of course, both solicited and random audience participation, with the performers roaming through the tables, and if you are sitting near the stage the plastic sheeting supplied just may come in handy for the fabulous fiinale.
The auditorium was seldom quiet during opening night's more than 2 hours of adult entertainment, with the audience laughing and applauding, cheering and stamping their feet and dancing along in the post finale number.
A great time seemed to be had by all.
What: Briefs - The World's Hottest All-Male Boylesque Circus Spectacular Where & when: Q Theatre, until December 10 Reviewed by Raewyn Whyte
