Don’t have time to read the full review? Click here for a quick summary of the who, what, where and wine of this production.
It’s raucous, raunchy, untethered and unclothed; Dirty Laundry is drag cabaret group Briefs’ latest and sudsiest cabaret show to grace Aussie stages.
If you’ve never been to a cabaret show, it’s part circus, part comedy variety show, part striptease and part drag performance. There’s something for everyone! In this iteration of their cabaret, the Briefs boys gather at a somewhat special laundromat to air their dirty laundry – that is, to expose uncomfortable truths, and put on a great show while doing it.
Getting us off to a roaring start is an upbeat, high energy dance number. The choreography falls apart a bit at times, but their showmanship carries it through. Our welcome from lead queen Fez Faanana, aka, Shivanana included, among the rules of the raffle that is one of the mainstays of Briefs performances and some excellent one-liners, one of the best Acknowledgement of Country’s I’ve heard. Faanana skilfully draws lines between Australia’s historical and ongoing failings towards Indigenous peoples and ongoing discrimination and violence experienced by those in the LGBTQIA+ community, and the overwhelming need for greater respect and systemic change.
As the show moved from act to act, oerall I think they got the balance pretty right. Some of the comedy skits were quite similar to each other and the end could have used one more punchy number, like they had at the start, to bookend the performance on a high. That being said, the audience was engaged, constantly erupting in deafening laughter and applause, and the showmanship and talent of the Briefs cast shone through every single act.
Every Briefs member brings something different to the table. We start with a striptease and a teensy bit of full-frontal nudity, impressively performed while juggling, and a vintage inspired drag performance of sword swallowing and other similar acts that elicited multiple groans from more squeamish audience members. A series of comedy skits hilariously pisstake Australian bogan culture, and a brilliant aerial acrobatic act closes the first half. Another ensemble dance number in the second half of the show sees even more clothes being stripped off, and glitter and tassles flinging every which way, and a ballad by Faanana and interpretive dancing takes us to close.
Keeps you on your toes throughout is the costuming, which adapts to each performer’s aesthetic. We have 80s-inspired double denim, sequinned leotards, poofy, vintage dresses and big hair, cheap-looking net dresses that barely hold anything in them and flowing ballgowns in quick succession. Music and lighting keep the party going from start to end.
Purchase your ticket to Briefs – Dirty Laundry here.
Pinot Gris | Wine Pairing
Pinot Gris is just the pick for this party cabaret; your friends, family and random strangers are guaranteed to enjoy passing the bottle around. Delicate flavours of pear, apple and lime are common, as well as refreshing acidity on the finish that will keep you pouring well into the night.
My Pick: Josef Chromy 2022 Pinot Gris, Tamar Valley, TAS
Josef Chromy’s Pinot Gris is intoxicating on the nose with notes of jasmine and citrus and medium bodied on the palate with a crisp, long finish. Chromy brings fruity and sassy together in each and every delicious drop. preparing you splendidly to switch back and forth between comedy, acrobatics and striptease.
Briefs – Dirty Laundry, Seymour Centre | Tasting Notes
| Aussie Season | 28 Feb to 4 March 2023, Seymour Centre, Sydney NSW |
| Ticket $ | $40-59 |
| Director | Fez Faanana |
| Theatre Type & Genre | Cabaret |
| See it if you like | circus, burlesque, Ru Paul’s Drag Race |
| Other Info | contains nudity |
| Wine Pairing | Pinot Gris |
| Criteria for Wine Pairing | tropical fruits, high acidity, smooth texture |
Toasting Aussie Theatre 