Club Briefs: The Works (Carriageworks) ★★★½

Devised and performed by Briefs Factory International. Carriageworks. 27 Nov – 25 Dec, 2024.

The Briefs boys & girls are back for another spin around Sydney, this time setting up shop in the Famous Spiegeltent, now located in the middle of Carriageworks. This babushka doll of a venue within a venue seems fitting for a variety show about layers, and the art of taking them off.

I was a little shocked to realise that I’ve been watching Brief Factory International perform for around a decade now. I first saw them in the Spiegeltent in London around 2013/14 I think, and by that time they had already been running for around five years. Over the years the line up has altered but the sense of barely contained mayhem has remained the same. 

A decade ago their mix of burlesque, acrobatics, circus and drag felt unique. Now they are up against similar acts who all deliver variations on the same tricks in different arrangements – sexy acrobatics, drag burlesque, aerial striptease etc, but Briefs has always worked because of its “variety show” format and punk disregard for anything that isn’t pure fun. Sure, there is nudity and aerial work, but there’s also drag lip syncs, contemporary dance, performance art, comedy and usually one or two gross-out moments. 

Club Briefs: The Works returns the team to their warehouse club roots with an assortment of acts, some familiar and well worn, some totally fresh. From a crowd-sourced (or should that be sauced) catwalk to the party-on aftershow vibe. All the elements of previous Briefs shows are here with an open invitation to afters, as they find new ways to remove their clothes in midair with a twinkle in their eye (and occasionally other body parts).

Captain Kidd is as provocative and punk as always in his signature burlesque act. Thomas Worrell continues to amaze and arouse with his aerial work and chiseled physique. Nastia (Luke Hubbard) gives us feats of strength and dance, backwards and in heels. Rowan Thomas knows how to work his ring and use the centrifugal force for an added bit of spice. And pole star Benjamin Butterfly takes things up a notch mid air. All corralled by their fearless leader with a fringe, Shivannah (Fez Faanana).

Mixing things up, each week features a new guest performer. Week 1 gets rock-star boy-lesque from Rhys Lightning; Week 2 spotlights former Miss Burlesque Australia, Diesel Darling, and Week 3 closes with Betty Grumble’s comedy and performance art.

It may just be the line up of acts, or maybe things are mellowing with age, but Club Briefs: The Works is probably the safest and most accessible version of Briefs I’ve seen. There’s still playful nudity, drag and the threat of Captain Kidd making you wet, but the show has less shock comedy and deliberately gag-inducing humour than previous iterations. That said, the straight guys behind me obviously didn’t know what they’d gotten themselves into and uttered multiple rounds of “seriously, mate” and “what have you brought me to”, so that’s a win for representation.

One of the unspoken lessons of Briefs is that “sexy is as sexy does”. It isn’t about body shape, skin colour or costume – although all those things are used to great advantage. It’s about attitude and above all, having a fun, adventurous sense of humour to go with it. For all the seeming lack of polish, it’s clear they know what they’re doing and they’re doing it well – they just don’t always want you to know that. Chaos is part of the brand after all.