Briefs – London Wonderground

Briefs continues at the London Wonderground. Picture: Roy Tan

Briefs continues at the London Wonderground at the Southbank Centre until 27 September.

Star rating: 4 stars ★ ★ ★ ★

A potent eruption of raw naked talent, the company of Briefs took command of the Wonderground’s stunning 1920s themed Spiegeltent with all the modesty of a Montmartre courtesan, and with twice the firepower. This Australian-based all-male ‘Boylesque’ circus troupe boasts a wicked vaudeville charm and unloads a downright steamy level of artistry into our laps. Following a sell-out tour and two-year run at Glastonbury, the globe-trotting young company has already attracted a devoted audience following, and from the first buttock-tastic group number it isn’t hard to see why.

Emerging from the feathers with heels of steel and a gaze to match, Shivannah, our gender-juggling host, was the pitch perfect coax to our Tube-strike-weary audience – expertly blending self-deprecation, observation and insult with that critical twinkle of the eye – the risqué bite of satire never far from the tongue and always on the funny side of an awkward pause. Shivannah sports the exquisite costumes of artist and stylist Dallas Dellaforce, sequins and satin with the occasional political twist, exposing a vulnerable heart within the cattiness of the comedy.

Nostalgia wins out and these guys know it. Glistening and playful, the company leads us through a scandalous playground of our childhood loves: yo-yos, Rubik’s Cubes, Hula Hoops and ultra-neon all feature heavily. Though perhaps a little less assured than his peers, Louis Biggs is outrageously skilled and full of potential in his ‘Juvenile Delinquent’ sketch, simultaneously coaxing and traumatising the inner child.

The sketches and pop culture references follow thick and fast, all proficient, but some perhaps diving a little too far into the reference to be universally understood. An ‘Evil Hate Monkey’ dances (superbly) en pointe, buoyant, hairy and suggestive; three ‘dogs’ are athletically and skimpily trained; a magician pulls obscene items out of the ether, and we begin to wonder whether or not there might be something else in the air.

The standout performers of the evening has to be 2011 Vegas Burlesque champion Mark “Captain Kidd” Winmill, archly beautiful, soaring and diving around his golden birdbath; and a new addition to the delinquent line-up this year in the form of the smouldering Thomas Worrell, whose aerial hoop and silk routines left us gasping for breath. The technical prowess and talent of these men is astounding – but it’s their joy and showmanship that makes it truly hot.

Mention must be made of the masterful Paul Lim, whose lighting design adds a cinematic magnificence to the show, transforming the mid-size venue into an epic Big Top of the imagination, and delivering a moving depth and elegance amid the complex pulsating beat-driven strobes and spotlights.

Though the audience participation sketch works well, the show could benefit from more frequent interaction with the crowd – often the dialogue is kept a little safe, in stark contrast to the risky physical comedy. The audience might have begun to waver, but for the raging ‘Busty Beatz’ disco finale which brought us right back to our feet.

Never mistake the trashy facade and ad-libbed discourse for nonchalance. The group choreography is pin-sharp, the artists disciplined to the tiniest muscle, and the carnal humour laced masterfully with satire. This company has its hand firmly in the small of your back as it leads you down into depravity and keeps you quite happy to stay there with them. They may not yet possess the cohesion and assured smoothness of their longer-running contemporaries, but the vitality, showmanship and bare potential (pardon the pun) makes for an exhilarating den of delights that must not be missed.

Aura Simon