Briefs: Close Encounters

Briefs Factory describe themselves as “manufacturers and distributors of evocative, irreverent, political punk performance.” Close Encounters lives up to this mantra in dazzling and spectacular fashion. This Australian based performance collective specialises in blending the conventions of cabaret burlesque, comic capery, breathtaking circus acts and male stripping. The combination is seamless and forcefully dynamic and, unsurprisingly, has become a world-wide sensation. 

This show imagines a utopian and inclusive future where glitter-bombs and raucous comedy are an antidote to the self-destructive tendencies of humanity.  As always, the collective pushes the boundaries of artistry, gender and decency in an endearing manner. The scintillating lighting, staging, music and costuming effects are magnificent. This creates an unrelenting racy pace which produces an irresistible and audacious futuristic atmosphere.

The alluring “emcee”, Shivannah, sets the titillating and raunchy tone of the show which includes a range of enormously talented performers such as Captain Kidd (2011 Las Vegas King of Burlesque), acrobat and clownish time-hopping rabbit, Dale Woodbridge-Brown (a proud Kamilaroi Aboriginal), gravity defying aerialist Thomas Worrell, circus performer Louis Biggs, and British performance artist, Harry Clayton-Wright.

The deliberate high-octane adrenaline impact of the show is managed with precision timing and natural flair in the strategic use of stage presence. The audience is simultaneously incited and inspired, and the overall effect is unlike anything one expects to experience in a reputable theatre.

Patricia Di Risio

Photographer: Kate Pardey