#FirstWorldWhiteGirls Has Got 99 Problems, But Making People Laugh Ain't One

Having sold out their 2014 debut show at Adelaide Fringe Festival, comedians Judy Hainsworth and Kaitlin Oliver Parker are back to have a good old-fashioned bitch about the countless struggles of undeniable privilege. You know, the real struggles. Like dealing with kale shortages, un-bespoke furniture and battling that dreaded FOMO.

Playing a trust fund princess and alcoholic trophy wife from the outskirts of Brisbane, #FirstWorldWhiteGirls sees Hainsworth and Parker tear themselves to shreds in the name of explorative humour. "We wanted to write something that was taken from our own lives," Hainsworth tells. "We are white and we are privileged, and we both went to nice private schools and we looked at the problems in our lives and realised how trivial they were."

"Comedy lets you say things that you couldn't otherwise because people let their guards down."

Encouraging members of the audience to stand up and share their own first world problem, #FirstWorldWhiteGirls manages to non-intrusively turn a mirror on those willing to experience it, wrapping up some pretty weighty subjects with shiny paper and a frilly pink bow. On the surface, the show is about a group of ladies who get together for a Botox Party — and yes, before you ask, apparently botox parties are a real thing.

"These women will have a doctor or nurse come over with syringes and botox, there'll be canapes and champagne — the works!" Hainsworth explains. If you weren't too busy laughing at the show's punchily delivered observations, the premise itself would probably be enough to make you cringe. But there's more than meets the eye, according to Hainsworth, who insists the show encourages a deeper self-examination.

"I actually do think it's quite political," she says. "We talk about Trump, we make comments about feminism and the pressures put on women, the many disparities between men and women. It is political, but it's up to the audience as to whether they dig into the show deeper and take something away from it.

"Comedy lets you say things that you couldn't otherwise because people let their guards down. Once you get someone to laugh, they're kind of on your side and you can get other things across. We sneak it in there."

With sell-out shows and rave reviews to back them up, Hainsworth and Parker enjoy the diversity of their audiences. "We've got a bit of everyone. There are women who drag along their partners, we've had a hens night. But, yeah! Groups of women love to come along."

With plans to tour the show nationally, the pair of sharp-witted women are also eyeing a future on the silver screen. Having recently filmed a little video promo for the show and receiving a really strong response from audiences online, the comedy duo admit to noting the success of ABC iView hit series The Katering Show, which has just been given the green-light for a full-length series. It makes sense, too, with #FirstWorldWhiteGirls ticking all the self-deprecating boxes of a 2017 comedy smash.