Briefs factory has been in operation since 2008, and for the past 13 years the boys have called Perth’s FRINGE WORLD their second home. Their current offering Dirty Laundry was devised in response to the range of emotional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shortfalls of the federal government to support Australia’s arts sector (thriving btw).
In the past 13 years you’ve probably heard that Briefs is a sexy, cheeky boy-lesque show with hot men and top-quality circus performances. It is. However what shines through in their 2024 offering is not just the capacity to excite their audience to holler and laugh but the skilful way of connecting heart-heart with their crowd in an 1800 seat venue.
Fez Faanana, briefs mother and possibly one of the tallest drag queens in the southern hemisphere, begins the show as always with an acknowledgement. This sets the tone for the entire show. It’s not just an acknowledgement of land sky and sea, but also about the importance and power of respecting each other, our histories, and truth telling. Fez bookends the show with a similar acknowledgment: get home safe to your loved ones. The first time I saw the briefs boys in 2016 the show ended with a monologue from Fez about a the violence in Northbridge faced by artists walking home from their fringe shows. It was a powerful speech and a reminder of what’s at stake alone at night as a visibly queer person that still hits home today. This is a central tenet of what keeps Briefs up-to-the-minute and, I think, one of the truly queer things about the company. An ensemble of BIPOC performers who use their platform to represent their rage against the machine, celebrate homosexuality and support the safety of their audience? It’s a ‘yas’ from me.
The cast of Briefs: Dirty Laundry.
Alright let’s talk about the performances.
First the opening, absolute slay. Camp, girly, sexy and great dancing. Then we move on to Rowan Thomas in the Cyr wheel with the most exciting/stressful stripping you’ve ever seen. Not least of all because Thomas is a hottie in a hoop but also because there is a certain thrill about someone using centrifugal motion with his face so close to the ground and not break his nose. Then Dale Woodbridge-Brown (@Kamilaroi_cowboy) is giving cute, is giving #wig is giving disgusting tricks with a balloon. Woodbridge-Brown masterfully balances the chaotic energy of someone who could kill you with a smile almost as quickly and precisely as he could trim a rose bush with a whip. Thomas Worrell who has been a mainstay of Briefs as far back as I can remember wows in the arial hoop, moving fluidly and flawlessly at dizzying speeds. Worrell’s piece serves as poetic vehicle for Faanana to frame the overall aim of the show- to air dirty laundry and grievances in response to the past five years with Worrell showcasing what the human body is able to withstand.
I won’t spoil the work with a minute-by-minute recap of every moment but there are many more highlights right until the finale- for one thing, Serenity does not need to be tucked and padded while doing all that but she is and I thank her. The artistic merit of Briefs Factory cannot be overstated. It only takes a quick glance over some of FRINGE WORLD’s programming in the past 5-10 years to see the growth of local queer & cabaret talent and the influence Briefs Factory has had on some of Perth’s queer artists. Homegrown heroes like Fringe Freakout, or Geneva’s Messy Friends enjoy audiences that have been primed over the years by Briefs and the city is better for it. I don’t doubt that this impact is felt across all the capital cities and festivals the boys visit throughout the calendar.
In 2024 the Briefs Boys are walking the work and co-producing an all-female burlesque show with a troupe of Pacific Islander performers mentored by Briefs Factory artists. Fruits de le Passion is a world-first and premieres for a limited run at FRINGE WORLD Jan 23-Feb 4. You can catch the multi-award winning Dirty Laundry at L’Euro Grande on those same dates.