Confessions of a Drag Queen Accountant regaled the audience with salacious tales of Skye Scraper gallivanting around the world, from Australia to London where she was both fortunate and unfortunate enough to find accommodation with an unscrupulous man named Richard.
Confessions at times felt like a self-indulgent and self-congratulatory celebration of drugs, sex, travel, novelty and unglamorous antics. In all this, the audience was invited to believe that Scraper does not regret any of her experiences; the show was a celebration of her openness to life and how she has dealt with the curveballs thrown at her.
For a show that was supposed to chronicle the double life of a drag queen as an accountant, however, the narrative tensions between these two dimensions of Scraper were lost in such confessions. What purpose and function did the confessions serve beyond impressing upon the audience the varied experiences that Scraper has had in life? Little thought appears to have been given to the importance of story beyond narrating gobsmacking escapades.
Despite this, Confessions was a bold and confident performance that was adequate for its purposes: entertaining those with a penchant for the countercultural – even though drag is now arguably part of the fabric of broader popular culture.
Scraper’s musical renditions and lip-syncing were well done and satisfying. The use of voiceover throughout added vibrancy as Scraper darted across the stage to embody a different aspect of her life.
However, the audience engagement and participation – while adding a layer of dynamism – felt like a gimmick designed to set up the next joke. We were asked to share our own confessions as preparation for Scraper to share another harrowing one of her own.
Read: Theatre review: Mahabharata, His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth Festival
Confessions was not without its moments, but it would benefit from having a clearer narrative and some refinement. In its current form, there’s no story here, simply vignettes of a life that has been lived without much reservation. Perhaps that is the heart of it – but such a reading may be taking interpretative liberties.
Skye Scraper: Confessions of a Drag Queen Accountant
Written by John Hugo
His Majesty’s Theatre
Skye Scraper: Confessions of a Drag Queen Accountant was performed 13-15 February 2025 as part of FRINGE WORLD.
