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Rinse, spin, tumble and overload! The hunky burlesque boys of The Briefs Factory are back in a very clean new show – except for the odd glitter stain.
The Briefs Factory: “Australian creative collective who manufacture, cultivate and present evocative physical performance.” That’s how the Briefs burlesque troupe describe themselves on their Instagram account. It sounds a little dry and doesn’t do them justice.
A Briefs show is an adults-only, queer cabaret of acrobats, juggling, singing, dancing, vaudeville tricks and hunky men in… briefs. It’s sexy and sweaty and unapologetically queer. It’s genre-defying, political, gender-fuckery and it’s also interactive. One lucky audience member ends up on stage and let’s just say, if you win the lottery, you really win the lottery!
Thomas Worrel, an acrobat who performs an elegant gravity-defying routine in Dirty Laundry, is also the Briefs dance captain. He sums the show up as an “all-male cluster fiasco” with all the best bits of cabaret, circus, drag, burlesque, sideshow, gymnastics and dance.
“Briefs is a celebration of masculine and feminine energy,” says Thomas. “It’s about what makes us different and unique and it’s a party where everyone’s invited.
“While we have incredible skills, tricks and pumping tracks, Briefs is also silly. We take not being serious very seriously… as well as sometimes being serious.”
The production has a drag queen hostess, gender non-specific and non-binary characters, and some very pretty boys with muscles, tattoos and plenty of fur. And it all projects a very queer masculinity.
“Briefs has a strong LGBTQIA+ representation,” agrees Thomas, “but it isn’t a show about queer people for queer people. Briefs is a lot of things and drag cabaret is just one aspect.
“Just like drag itself, Briefs can’t be put into one box or given a single label. While we have a large drag representation in the company, we also have a strong masculine representation, with some that blur the line. Drag has evolved as an art form. It’s now much more than simply Dressing to Resemble A Girl (DRAG). Queens can have beards and boys can wear bikinis. Welcome to Briefs, where we are all accepted and celebrated.
“It’s a show where there is something for everyone to take away. Laughter is universal. I’m an aerialist, and in Dirty Laundry, I perform an aerial hoop solo, which is an emotive piece and almost a palate cleanser from the party-pumping atmosphere throughout the rest of the show.
“My work is a combination of strength, flexibility and dynamic movement. What we do is extremely physically demanding. We ask a lot of our bodies and, for me, there’s a high risk of serious injury. But everything we do is well rehearsed and calculated.”
Also in the cast is Luke Hubbard aka Nastia, who describes his role as an acrobatic drag queen.
“My skills include costume making, designing, make-up, wig stylist and circus performance,” says Luke. “I feel Briefs is quite masculine because all of us boys know who we are as men, especially with the majority being gay men. Even if some of us wear wigs, lashes and heels and present as very feminine, we carry a sense of strength and masculinity that transcends gender. It’s a gateway into our fabulous world and everyone is invited. I’ve always said that Briefs is a queer show for straight people and their response is always great. If they weren’t already an ally, I feel they will become one after our show.”
Soap suds, juggling balls and a bit of magic complemented by firm pecs, loose tongues and tight butts in the air make Briefs compelling. It’s fast, tight and fun.
“I hope our audiences walk away feeling refreshed and energised,” says Luke. “If they have sore cheeks after laughing so much, that would be fair, too. Every character bears their heart and soul on the stage, which I think our audiences find very endearing.”
Briefs: Dirty Laundry is playing at the Sydney Spiegeltent from 20 February to 15 March.
Purchase Tickets Here!
Venue: Sydney Spiegeltent, The Entertainment Quarter, 122 Lang Rd, Moore Park NSW 2021
Catch all the updates by following The Briefs Factory and Sydney Spiegeltent on social media.
