SEDGEFIELD NEWS – Pichi Keane may sound like a foreign name to most, and well, that's probably because it is.
But don't let that stop you from seeing this drag queen in her debut solo cabaret Ripe'n Ready at Studio 42 in Sedgefield on Saturday 17 June.
The performer is in fact proudly homegrown, and has now returned to South Africa after leaving in 2018 after being scouted by an international arts education company.
Pichi has been eager to get back on stage since hitting home soil in 2022, but personal difficulties made it challenging. There was the case of the missing luggage, for instance.
"I left Hong Kong shortly after the government announced a nationwide lockdown when Omicron reached its shores in 2022 - the fifth wave of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic in 2020 - and it was the final straw for me and many other full-time performers," says Pichi.
"I didn't plan on leaving and I was woefully unprepared, so when I arrived at the airport with not one, but two overweight pieces of luggage, the ground staff turned me away and I had to make an emergency plan."
A friend was able to help them repack and take the suitcase off their hands, which meant that all of their performance wardrobe stayed behind in Hong Kong for the next few months while Pichi tried to book a flight back once the restrictions lifted. But respite came too late.
"Hong Kong only eased Covid-19 regulations in December 2022, and in the meantime I had a chance to fall back in love with South Africa. I'm so happy to be back, and I can't wait for South African audiences to get to know me," Pichi beams.
And the luggage?
"That only arrived in SA this past May!
"It was such a joy having my costumes back, I'm just really glad I thought to grab my wig when we were doing the reshuffle on the airport floor." The performer laughs at the memory, but the distress of that moment is clearly still fresh in the mind.
Local audiences can spot the signature purple pompadour on stage at Studio 42 in Sedgefield next Saturday, 17 June, at 19:30.
More info on booking tickets is available on Pichi Keane's website at www.pichikeane.com. Pichi describes Ripe 'n Ready as a "musical glamour clown extravaganza" and is a heady mix of live sung pop songs with a cabaret twist and a side of raunchy stand-up comedy.
No under-18s are allowed as the production includes strong language, sexual themes and partial nudity.
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