Australia’s favourite corporate gal-pal, Karen From Finance, is bringing her hilarious one-woman show to the Sydney Comedy Festival this week.
The Melbourne-based drag queen, real name Richard Chadwick, was already a headliner before stepping onto the set of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under last year to appear on the franchise’s first local season.
The performer’s latest show and accompanying single, “Out Of Office”, features all of her trademark high-camp and hilarious lip syncs, plus all the tomfoolery you can poke a presentation pointer at.
“I’ve been touring this season from the show since January,” the queen told Rolling Stone.
“I’m on the tail end of Australia, I’ve only got a few more weeks of shows here and then I’m taking it over to the UK through July and August.
“This show is best described as a journey of self-discovery, and self-annihilation.
“It’s got a really beautiful message to the story, there is something really wholesome about the show. But, at the same time, it’s total trash, really dumb and very funny.”
Chadwick said fans should expect the unexpected when he hits the iconic Enmore Theatre in Sydney on Thursday night (May, 19th) as part of the annual Sydney Comedy Festival.
“It is a different show every night, it really depends on where I am and who the audience is. That keeps it really interesting and exciting.
“The show that I give on a Saturday night in Melbourne is completely different to what I give the older crowd in Port Douglas. It does change every night, it just happens on the road – which is one of my favourite parts of touring, finding the hidden gems that you come across after doing a show for so long.”
Out of Office was awarded both the Comedy Award and The West Australian Critic’s Choice Award at Perth’s Fringe World Festival in January 2020, alongside a glowing four-star review in The West Australian.
Limited tickets are is still available for Thursday’s show through Ticketek.
The next season of Drag Race Down Under was filmed earlier this year in New Zealand, and is expected to announce its cast in the coming weeks ahead of its premiere on streaming service Stan in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand later this year.
Chadwick said he “will be watching” Season 2 when its hits the small screen.
“I’m prepared to be triggered, but I’m also excited to see a whole bunch of new drag queens go through the turmoil. I think I know most of [this year’s cast]. It’s a pretty small scene and the girls are loudmouths.
Asked by Rolling Stone if he would join an “All Stars” season of the Emmy-award-winning show where drag queens compete for a cash prize, Chadwick said the timing would have to be right.
“I’m hoping it will be a few more years before I get asked [to do All Stars]. I’ve got a lot to learn and a lot of growing to do before I would do the show again, but I’d definitely go on Drag Race again one day.”
