Sometimes the true measure of a stand-up comedian comes in how they handle a heckle. Or a reverse heckle, in the case of working women’s hero Karen From Finance. Melbourne, and indeed the world’s, best-named drag queen spins her entire schtick out of being an obsessive workaholic. Switching to Out of Office when forced to take four months leave owing is an existential horror. So when the climax of her debut stand-up show erupts in a desperate race to recover from a black-out bender that leaves her stranded in the middle of nowhere without a phone or a stain-free dress, to get back to the office on time for Monday morning, the one thing you should not do is shout out, however well-intentioned, “Don’t go back”. “Bitch,” she retorts, this is her life, and she’s reclaiming it on her terms.
And boy are the crowd here for it. Mashing up Celine Dion and Dolly Parton lip synch (it’s pronounced "sinch", sweeties) and sessions with glorious video interludes (how many sugars, exactly, are in that coffee?), Richard Chadwick’s alter ego embraces big shoulders and even bigger hair in a way that would make the ‘80s blush.
There’s not a lot to the show on face value, but it really doesn’t matter. A consummate crowd rouser, Karen takes no prisoners, or pause for breath between whisky swigs. And judging by the hysteria even while queuing outside, everyone is PUMPED for her impending RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under debut. This is the sound of a hard-earned career working queer bars and the comedy scene faxing itself into the big time, reply all. Never have BAS statements and Microsoft’s ill-fated cartoon guide Clippy inspired such drunken mayhem. And that’s just Karen. The audience? Sheesh. But Karen knows exactly how to keep them in the palm of her impractically manicured hands. So now is definitely not the time to tell her to take a day off. Book in a morning meeting, 'cause this gurrrl’s got werk to do.
