Briefs: Close Encounters at Leicester Square Spiegeltent | Review


BRIEFS V-formation - Photo by John TsiavisIt’s Christmas and Leicester Square has really gone to town. The Spiegeltent has been moved from the South Bank and taken up residence in the winter wonderland that the square has become. Filling the tent with their amazing brand of burlesque, drag and circus are some boys visiting from down under. Yes, once more Briefs: Close Encounters is back and ready to bring a spot of Christmas cheer to an appreciative audience.
For the uninitiated, let me try and explain the unexplainable. Hosted by the glamorous Shivannah (Fez Fa’Anana) a time traveller from a much better future, who has come back in time with her gorgeous boys (Captain Kidd, Dale Woodbridge-Brown, Thomas Worrell, Louis Biggs, and Harry Clayton-Wright) to show current day audiences how wonderful the future is going to be. This is done with a fantastic and enjoyable mixture of the bizarre and the fascinating. Aerial gymnastics take pride of place with interpretive dance, shameless flirting and the most wonderful and talented rabbit you will ever see to provide 100 minutes of entertainment and fun that will leave you with a really warm fuzzy feeling inside.
Obviously, I can’t go into too many details but my main advice is to expect the unexpected and prepare to have your breath taken away by the dazzling performances put together by Director: Fez Fa’anana. Forgetting the performance for a moment, and full praise to Musical Director: Busty Beatz for a great selection of music that will be enjoyed by young and old. It could be said that Costume designer Dallas Dellaforce doesn’t have much to do – there is an awful lot of bare flesh on display – but where costumes are needed, they are spectacular. Seriously, every spacesuit should come with sequins. Finally, Lighting Designer Paul Lim lights the show in truly awesome, innovative, and brilliant ways.
The performers are all first rate and whether dancing, spinning flying through the air or even just wandering around before the show, chatting to the audience it’s obvious that they are fully committed to the show and supporting each other. The show itself is intense, energetic and breathtaking in equal measure. The favourite moment for me? Well, there were many, the birdcage, the transforming standard lamp and the world’s hottest juggler, all stand out in my mind but my number 1 has to be the clock following rabbit.
Not much more to say really. Ultimately, Briefs: Close Encounters is a fantastic addition to the wonders of Christmas in Leicester Square. The show is high octane, spellbinding entertainment from start to finish, and is definitely worth sticking into your Christmas schedule. My final bit of advice; buy a raffle ticket. If you win you will have a Christmas memory that will stay with you forever.
5 Star Rating
Review by Terry Eastham for London Theatre 1

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