Review by Tatum Stafford
No matter your age, gender, or Fringe show preference, you’re guaranteed to have a good time at a Karen From Finance show.
When walking into the Hat Trick for Friday night’s show, it was clear we were in for a treat, with a giant ‘DOING TIME’ neon sign hung in the centre of the stage. When Karen bounced onto the stage, it was with a huge smile, heaps of energy, and a gorgeous garment that she whipped off to reveal her staple sparkly work ensemble.
The show centres around Karen’s scuffles with her co-workers (including a bitchy receptionist and frank CEO), which eventually gets her thrown into jail. Karen gets inventive to figure out how she will break out (a scene aptly set to Queen’s “I Want To Break Free”).
There are a few fantastic original songs in this show, including one that follows the show title, “Doing Time”. Karen sings to a backing track and has a really great, strong voice, and she throws in plenty of sass and character that get some big laughs from the enthusiastic crowd. It’s clear she is a seasoned professional and has the audience in safe hands with each song, joke, scene and reference.
There are multiple glitzy costume changes, gags about office life, lip-synced songs with visual hilarity (I won’t give too much away here…), and each show, there’s a special guest that has shacked up with Karen behind bars. The show we saw featured a performer from the circus/drag/burlesque stalwart Briefs, and it was so entertaining and a fun addition while Karen speedily changed costume.
This isn’t Karen’s first rodeo at Perth Fringe, and after the big crowds at this show, I’m hopeful it won’t be her last. Definitely worth a look!
Image Supplied