Back in London for its 4th season BRIEFS is a not for the faint hearted. In the words of our brilliantly bonkers host, this show ‘celebrates the freak’; and what a celebration it is.He begins the proceedings with some impressive lip syncing which merges seamlessly into the opening number as the remaining men join him on the stage, they leave little to the imagination performing a fabulously flawless feather routine. From the start they have the whole audience mesmerised, and as they lose layer after layer of clothing they have us hooked on their every move.
The show takes a traditional cabaret format, but each act is very cleverly crafted to keep you entertained throughout and hit you with the shock factor to make even the most open-minded gasp in disbelief at the climax. The audience do not get a chance to come up for air as we enjoy the variety of performances in front of us. From intricate aerial and hoop work, random comedic characters that have no relevance what so ever to the show, but never-the-less you cannot help but laugh at, to character based burlesque with dogs, Drag Queens and the use of the male form that makes your eyes water, this is cabaret at its best.
Shivannah was always on hand with crude comedic anecdotes that sounded off the cuff and natural, making the audience relaxed and at home in her capable hands. So when she spoke about more hard-hitting topics in today’s climate, we go with her, after all, as she tells us, ‘politics looks so much better in two way stretch sequin!’ The show provides a sense of escapism from the very moment you step into that tent. With the overwhelming message throughout just to be who you want to be, this show celebrates individuality in its most outrageous forms.
The show closed with a roof raising rendition of the 80s classic Enough is Enough which got the entire audience on its feet and dancing. I urge you to go, leave you inhibitions at the door, expect the unexpected and remember that no matter what life throws at you, you can go into a tent and watch a man dressed as a monkey peeling a banana and thrusting it into someone else’s face…what more could you want?!
A resourceful manservant is left in charge of his master’s London home during an outbreak of plague and during his absence, falls-in with a pair of confidence tricksters. The resultant bargain struck between the three, provides the basis for Ben Johnson’s seminal 1610 work The Alchemist which is currently being presented in the main house of the Barbican, by the RSC.