Comedy Festival 2018: Brief boys’ clothes fly in Briefs The Second Coming ★★★★

BOY burlesque at its best in Briefs: The Second Coming. Tight acts, tight bums and so much fun.

THE Brief boys are back in town. This “second coming” is actually the show’s third visit to Melbourne and it’s as entertaining as ever. Their tried-and-tested “boylesque” offerings run the gamut of sexy circus, drag and burlesque.

The guys have been working these acts for years now so the show is definitely well lubricated and punchy. Clothes fly off at all the right moments, emcee Fez Faanana’s bitchy, political-tinged humour is spot on and the more technically-rigorous routines still pop.

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Tightened up into a 70-minute version for the Comedy Festival, none of the magic is lost. In fact, the consolidation works to advantage in the cabaret styling of the Speigeltent where the velvety, vintage feel brings an intimacy and vibe that previous venues lacked.

Sightlines are sometimes compromised, but that hardly matters when Thomas Worrell’s impressive aerial acts (hoop and tissu) are suspended from above or headliner Mark “Captain Kidd” Winmill contorts and splashes wildly in his elevated bird bath in a crazy routine that requires wet-weather protection for the front rows.

Brief boys return in Briefs The Second Coming.

The multi-age mix of younger cast members, such as Louis Biggs (who can do things with yo-yos that should probably be illegal) to the more veteran artists such as Dallas Dellaforce (whose conceptual drag acts bring a different intellect to the show) all comes together in crowd-pleasing showgirl-style openers and closers that cement Briefs as both a tight ensemble and a collection of individual talents.

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Few shows of this type find that happy balance between showcasing solo acts and having well-realised group material. The long history of the Brief boys and the confidence of such a lived-in show make this possible.

If you haven’t seen Briefs, and aren’t adverse to boy bums decorated with creative g-strings, some scatological humour and fellatio with fruit, all wrapped up into a funky package, now is your chance. It helps that the bar is open throughout the show.

Briefs Factory, Briefs: The Second Coming

The Famous Spiegeltent, Arts Centre Melbourne, until 22 April

comedyfestival.com.au