“All in all it’s a light-hearted show that is sure to delight both those familiar with the art form, as well as anyone experiencing drag for the first time. Terrifically fun.” – Felicity Anderson
3.5 paperclips
Karen from Finance works til 3am, sleeps in her Honda, then gets in early to empty and restock the dishwasher and get all the boys a coffee every morning. She makes up the single team member in finance and she loves it. More accurately, she lives for it.
Despite Covid restrictions making a live audience almost impossible, the Melbourne drag queen lives in digital with a live recording of her Perth performance of Karen from Finance is Out of Office gracing screens during Melbourne Fringe Festival 2020. The live recording inserts short videos during transitions to create a surprisingly adept digital adaptation.
Karen from Finance, a certified workaholic, is forced to take her accumulated personal leave and is essentially banned from the office building for four months at the demand of her boss (and security). Whilst Karen mourns her life purpose with a reverie of I Dreamed a Dream, a shot of Jameson whisky soon sets off what is to be a four month long bender. She wakes up in the middle of nowhere on the last Saturday morning of her leave, desperate to get back in time for work on Monday. Armed with her sidekick, Microsoft Clippy, Karen from Finance navigates the world outside her office and embodies the paperclip’s advice; ‘to find yourself you must first lose yourself.’ Musical numbers colour the story along the way with light-hearted humour, and it becomes clear that this performance doesn’t take itself too seriously. Dolly Parton’s hit 9 To 5 becomes the anthem of Karen from Finance as she journeys home to the work she so loves, with boundaries set to ensure she still lives a little on the side.
There is an easy clarity with the plot, and it is clear that Karen from Finance is a comfortable performer. Any performer-audience mishaps are dealt with by an expert hand, allowing the show to really embrace audience participation. All in all it’s a light-hearted show that is sure to delight both those familiar with the art form, as well as anyone experiencing drag for the first time. Terrifically fun.
Karen from Finance is Out of Office plays digitally at Melbourne Fringe until the 29th of November.
Felicity Anderson, Theatre Now
