Power and Pride

Dale Woodbridge-Brown's circus costume reflects a proud identity

See it up close with a guided tour of the Australian Performing Arts Collection’s new storage, research and education facility.

Rear view of a sequined man's jacket, with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag

When Dale Woodbridge-Brown walked on stage as host of the Circus Oz show TWENTYSIXTEEN, he told the audience: “I’m a triple threat”. But it was not in the traditional sense of being a singer, dancer and actor. Instead, he announced: “I’m gay, Aboriginal, and adopted”.

His identity as a proud queer Kamilaroi man was boldly expressed in the sequined costume he wore, with the red, black and yellow colours of the Aboriginal flag glittering in the circus lights.

Photograph of man onstage, wearing a shorts suit with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag, with black sock garters. In the background is a piano and a woman playing a tuba.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown in TWENTYSIXTEEN. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown in TWENTYSIXTEEN. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

That costume is part of a recent donation to the Australian Performing Arts Collection from Circus Oz. Dale Woodbridge-Brown recently spoke with curator Ian Jackson about the outfit, the show, and the power of costume.

“I wanted to make sure that my queerness was represented as well as my Aboriginality.”
Dale Woodbridge-Brown
Black and white photograph of a man, from the neck up, looking in to a mirror while applying brow gel.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown prepares for a performance, 2015. Photograph by Nina Konjini.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown prepares for a performance, 2015. Photograph by Nina Konjini.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown was born in Mungindi, in Kamilaroi Country in New South Wales, and grew up in Dubbo. He was a state-level gymnast during school before training in dance at the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts (ACPA) in Brisbane.

Circus Oz's From The Ground Up, 2012. Photograph By Rob Blackburn.

While at ACPA, he was approached to try out for BLAKFlip, a Circus Oz program for First Nations performers. He then joined the company in 2012 as a full-time member, initially performing as an acrobat.

Circus Oz's From The Ground Up, 2012. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Just before Circus Oz’s Melbourne season in 2015, Woodbridge-Brown dislocated his elbow when a trapeze routine went wrong. The injury required surgery and he had to wear a sling.

In another company, that would have ended his role on stage. But not at Circus Oz: “They put sequins all over my sling and I went from there”, he told The Guardian afterwards.

Photograph of a man onstage in a red suit, white shirt and black bow tie. He is performing a single handed handstand, while his other arm is in a glittered sling.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown on stage in a sling, 2015. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown on stage in a sling, 2015. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Taking on hosting duties in a Master of Ceremonies role, he combined his acrobatic skill with a verbal dexterity – even when standing on his head.

Two performers practicing an acrobatic manoeuvre. One is bending at the knees, giving a thumbs up, while the other is balancing on the first's knees while in a split.

Circus Oz's From The Ground Up, 2012. Photograph By Rob Blackburn.

Circus Oz's From The Ground Up, 2012. Photograph By Rob Blackburn.

A performer on stage mimicing playing a guitar with a rod. He wears grey pants and a blond wig.

Circus Oz's From The Ground Up, 2012. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Circus Oz's From The Ground Up, 2012. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Photograph of circus cast on stage in various costumes and poses.

The cast of TWENTYSIXTEEN. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

The cast of TWENTYSIXTEEN. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

When the time came to plan for Circus Oz's 2016 season, Woodbridge-Brown was out of the sling and ready to continue his role.

I was starting to host the show, and so I wanted a suit to wear to do it.
Dale Woodbridge-Brown

While some Circus Oz shows are built around particular themes or stories, director Anni Davey intended the simply titled TWENTYSIXTEEN as a pure celebration of circus itself - a cavalcade of comedy, acrobatics and circus mayhem.

The circus is real people doing extraordinary stuff. It’s inspiring to watch because it pushes people to question what is possible.
Anni Davey, 2016

Woodbridge-Brown took on the role of ringmaster, using his skill in comedy to set the scene, while also performing acrobatics, juggling, and baton twirling. He was paired as host with Flip Kammerer, who played a new-age mystic called Infinity Lovebeads.

Photograph of two performers lying on stage with their heads poking out from a velvet curtain. The performer on the lefts wears colourful clothing, large white sunglasses and purple hair. The performer on the right is wearing a red sequined suit jacket and a pink-purple beard.

Flip Kammerer and Dale Woodbridge-Brown in TWENTYSIXTEEN. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Flip Kammerer and Dale Woodbridge-Brown in TWENTYSIXTEEN. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Woodbridge-Brown collaborated with Laurel Frank, Circus Oz's costume designer, to develop his costume.

Head shot of woman with grey hair and black eyeglasses.

Laurel Frank. Photograph by Ruth Maddison.

Laurel Frank. Photograph by Ruth Maddison.

She was glad of the freedom the show concept gave them to work with:

Identity was and is central to Dale’s performance and the 2016 show provided an opportunity to showcase that, as we weren’t restricted by a show theme. It was great to go all out to try to capture Dale’s natural flamboyance and confidence.

Their starting point was the Aboriginal flag. This was designed in 1970 by Harold Thomas, a Luritja man and member of the Stolen Generations. Since then, it has become an enduring symbol of First Nations strength and pride.

Frank recalls:

I had designed several costumes for Dale in previous shows and we had incorporated small versions of the Harold Thomas flag design as patches on the back of a vest and as a neck scarf.

Woodbridge-Brown was keen for the new costume to reflect his full identity:

I didn't want it to be just a straight flag, so we put in different lines and stuff into it. Then we put in the short shorts, just because it was super camp.

I wanted to make sure that my queerness was represented as well as my Aboriginality.

For Frank, it was important to get the details right:

We had quite a bit of consultation on the details of the design, how to reinterpret the graphic on a sassy suit and also how to incorporate other symbols.  Dale had asked permission of his Aunties to use other Kamilaroi “totems”, but we ran out of time to incorporate them.

Photographic portrait of man in blue short suit, yellow shirt and black socks garters on a white, draped background. He has jumped, with his limbs moving to right.

Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Photographic portrait of man in blue short suit, yellow shirt and black socks garters on a white, draped background. He has jumped with his legs up, feet pointed together and his right fist rests on his right cheek, which is puffed out.

Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Photographic portrait of man in blue short suit, yellow shirt and black socks garters on a white, draped background. He has jumped with arms and legs extended down, with feet and hands turned outward.

Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Laurel Frank worked with Dale Woodbridge-Brown to sketch out ideas...

...trying out options...

...before arriving at the final design.

The final costume combines fabulous sparkle with profound symbolism. It also mixes circus tradition with clever innovation, in typical Circus Oz style.

The cut of the jacket, formal shirt and bow tie reflect the traditional image of the circus ringmaster, but sequins add sparkle. The fabric of the jacket and shorts gives flexibility and the sleeveless shirt is made of sports mesh material under the sequins.

It also had to be stretchy, so I could do all the acrobatics in it.
Dale Woodbridge-Brown

The show was ambitious and demanding of its cast. The two hours of performance, accompanied by a live band, included high-octane acrobatics and juggling – at one point the ensemble had to keep 21 juggling clubs in the air at once!

I could do all the tumbling and the flying trapeze. When I was doing the hosting duties I wore the jacket, then I would take the jacket off for some of it.
Dale Woodbridge-Brown

Frank recalls:

The stretch of the suit meant Dale could keep it on for most acrobatic and dance moves but we had to make two suits as this made for a sweaty performance. They are hand washable and tailored in a way to not destroy the structure, thanks to costume cutter Justine Coultham.

Close up of a pencil design for shoes, with annotations.
Close up of customised red, black and yellow boxing shoes.

Similarly, Frank cleverly adapted commercially available footwear for performance. She notes:

The Adidas boxing boots used were a favourite among the acrobats as they are light, flexible but supportive. I have “added value” to many other pairs and these being conveniently black meant the colour scheme from the flag could be interpreted in an additional way without adding bulk and compromising airflow.

Front view of a costume, comprised of a shorts suit with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag, with white button down shirt, black bow tie and red, black and yellow boxing shoes.
Left side view of a costume, comprised of a shorts suit with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag, with white button down shirt, black bow tie and red, black and yellow boxing shoes.
Rear view of a costume, comprised of a shorts suit with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag, with white button down shirt, black bow tie and red, black and yellow boxing shoes.
Rear view of a costume, comprised of a shorts suit with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag, with white button down shirt, black bow tie and red, black and yellow boxing shoes.
“I just felt that it was like a power suit, my own version of the power suit.”
Dale Woodbridge-Brown
Close up of a sequined man's jacket, with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag, with a white shirt beneath.

Woodbridge-Brown's description of the costume as a “power suit” shows how costume can be about more than just clothing. One reason for this was that hosting was more than just another role. As he says:

Being Aboriginal, our whole history is of storytelling, and so I was using those skills. And that's what my people are naturally good at. We're leading people through stories, and that's what I did for the show.

So being able to be that person and be wearing such a fabulous suit, that was my new version of storytelling.

The show was well received by audiences and critics, with Woodbridge-Brown’s performance singled out for praise. One reviewer noted that his “acrobatic skills are matched by the charisma and sharp comedic timing he brings to the stage”.

With rainbow-dyed beard and sequined jacket sporting the Aboriginal flag, Dale Woodbridge-Brown is a hilarious triple threat of singing, dancing and acting.
Herald Sun review, 2016
Close up of a sequinned man's jacket, with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag, with a white shirt and a black bow tie.
Close up, rear view of a sequined man's jacket, with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag.
“Seeing somebody represented like myself on stage in a position of power, and kind of leading, was important, because we're not really given those roles a lot.”
Dale Woodbridge-Brown
Photograph of man onstage, wearing a shorts suit with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal Flag, with black sock garters. In the background is a piano and a woman playing a tuba.
I like costumes, I like playing dress up. I find it really helps get in the zone, and really fill out the character.
Dale Woodbridge-Brown

In 2017, Woodbridge-Brown joined the Brisbane-based performance collective Briefs. Through this group his skills in physical theatre and comedy have been seen by new audiences in Australia and overseas. He has also performed in further circus, cabaret and variety shows (including at Arts Centre Melbourne). He has continued to perform roles including MC, acrobat and clown, as well as in the persona of the Kamilaroi Cowboy.

In all these different guises, costume helps establish the act he is performing and the persona he creates. As he says:

We perform live on stage. So, it's a visual thing as well for some people. It helps express the act that you are doing. I do a lot of cabaret now. I have a clown costume for my clown act. And then I have a couple of cowboy suits that I wear for my cowboy acts. And it lends itself to the overall picture.

For the Australian Performing Arts Collection, a costume like Dale Woodbridge-Brown's adds another chapter to the representation of Australia's rich circus history.

It also demonstrates that costume is about much more than just how a performer looks on stage - that costume can be a way of telling a story to an audience, and so continuing a proud and powerful tradition into the future.

Photographic portrait of man in blue short suit, yellow shirt and black bow tie, on a white, draped background. He has one eyebrow lifted.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown, 2016. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

Dale Woodbridge-Brown, 2016. Photograph by Rob Blackburn.

“Such a fabulous suit...”
Dale Woodbridge-Brown
Rear view of a costume, comprised of a shorts suit with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag, with white button down shirt, black bow tie and red, black and yellow boxing shoes.

Credits

With many thanks to Dale Woodbridge-Brown for sharing his story and insights.

Thanks to Laurel Frank for her help and support of the Australian Performing Arts Collection and permission to reproduce her designs.

Photographs courtesy of Laurel Frank and Circus Oz.

Costume photography by Narelle Wilson.

Front view of a costume, comprised of a shorts suit with red, yellow and black colours forming a design in the shape of a modified version of the Aboriginal flag, with white button down shirt, black bow tie and red, black and yellow boxing shoes.

Costume worn by Dale Woodbridge-Brown in TWENTYSIXTEEN, Circus Oz, 2016
Designed by Laurel Frank. Aboriginal flag design by Harold Thomas.
Gift of Circus Oz, 2022

Find out more about Circus Oz in the Australian Performing Arts Collection
Find out more about APAC Reveal
We'd love your feedback!
TopBuilt with Shorthand