Interview: Sophie Powers reclaims the C word in CVNT

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https://www.itsonthehouse.com.au/events/4830

Date Reviewed: 10/01/2026

Sophie Power is not here to be polite.

Unhinged and off-the-rails, her cult-hit show CVNT is theatrical clownery: part comedy, part absurdist cabaret, part anatomy lesson, and part initiation ritual. Nothing is sacred, audience participation is non-negotiable, and everyone leaves questioning what they thought they knew about power, profanity and pleasure.

Dressed head-to-toe in pink, flappy cunt couture, Power transforms the stage into a battleground of boldness and unapologetic selfhood. From turning party games into crash courses on female anatomy to reclaiming the word “cunt” as a symbol of defiance, CVNT is equal parts riot and revelation. Empowering in her own deliciously unfiltered way, Sophie Power doesn’t just invite audiences to embrace their inner cunt, she demands it.

It’s On the House sat down with Power to talk clowning, comedy, feminine rage, controversy, and why making people uncomfortable can be the most liberating thing of all.

Sophie, CVNT is… a lot. For those walking in blind, who are you and how did you end up here?

Sophie: I’m originally from Adelaide. I started as an actor, then did improvisation for about ten years. It was my gateway drug into comedy. From there I fell into clowning, and that really unlocked something for me. I’ve always loved performing. Apparently my mum knew I was doomed when I came off a ballet stage at three-and-a-half and said, “That was amazing. They were all watching me.”

Were you always the funny one?

Sophie: Yeah, I think so. I remember hearing the term “class clown” in Year One in reference to another boy, and thinking, I want that job. I even had a nickname: “Wacky.” I loved Monty Python, silliness, absurdity. Making people laugh just always felt natural.

CVNT is bold, sexual, and confrontational. Was it terrifying to put this on stage?

Sophie: Absolutely. I mean, I orgasm on stage dressed as a giant vulva. That’s… a choice. I was terrified of what people, especially people I knew, would think. I had heart palpitations for a month. But that fear is kind of the point. The show is about being bold, weird and unapologetic, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Comedy is often dismissed as “just jokes,” but this show clearly carries a message. Why was that important to you?

Sophie: Comedy is subversive. You can get people to laugh about things they’d normally shut down around, and that’s where change happens. CVNT started out as a wordplay idea coming from the word “can’t” – “can’t touch this, can’t do that”  -- but it evolved into something deeper: dismantling “good girl syndrome.” Perfectionism. People-pleasing. Sexual repression. All the ways we’re taught to be small.

The show is about embracing the feminine as a powerful force—regardless of how you identify.

There’s real research behind the chaos, isn’t there?

Sophie: So much. I went deep into sexuality, shame, anatomy, empowerment. One thing that shocked me was learning that lesbians experience some of the highest levels of sexual shame across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Vulvas are constantly erased—there are penis costumes everywhere, but try finding a vulva one. You can’t. That absence became fuel for the show.

Audience participation is huge—and confronting. How do people usually react?

Sophie: Most people leave feeling empowered and inspired. Some cry. Some hug me. Some older white men walk out… and honestly? Perfect. The show is meant to be controversial. If it doesn’t poke you, it’s not doing its job.

You touch on feminine rage, which still makes people deeply uncomfortable.

Sophie: Yeah, that’s probably the most controversial section. Anger is just an emotion, it’s not bad. We’re just not taught how to express it safely, especially if we’re feminine. The show creates space to feel it without harm. But that makes people confront their own stuff, and not everyone likes that.

You were even compared to Andrew Tate in a review. How did that land?

Sophie: Honestly? It was devastating. To be doing a show about empowerment and then be likened to a misogynistic predator felt violating. I think it exposed how uncomfortable people are when women control chaos instead of being its victims.

Is comedy fair game, or are there limits?

Sophie: Anything’s fair game if it’s your experience, or if you’re punching up. People say, “You can’t joke about anything anymore,” but really, you just can’t punch down. It’s not hard.

CVNT has played Melbourne, Edinburgh Fringe, and now Perth. Does the show change night to night?

Sophie: Every single night. It’s heavily audience-driven, so no two shows are the same. Edinburgh audiences were incredible. They get clowning. They lean into weirdness straight away. Perth will bring its own chaos, and I’m ready for it.

You do everything—writing, performing, costume, makeup. How intense is the prep?

Sophie: Wild. Two hours to get ready, an hour and a half to pack, another hour to clean everything off. The costume is all second-hand—op shops, Facebook Marketplace. Sustainability matters to me.

What’s next? CVNT 2?

Sophie: Oh, it is definitely brewing. But first, I’m doing a Comedy Festival show called Fads, all about ridiculous trends over the years. CVNT will simmer… but she’s not done.

About the show

Winner: Best Comedy, Melbourne Fringe '24 Winner: Weekly Best Comedy, Adelaide Fringe '25 Sold-Out Seasons: Melbourne Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, and MICF

CVNT is a riotous, cunt-coded masterclass in chaos, comedy and reclamation. Whether you leave laughing, squirming, chanting “I am a cunt,” or all three, one thing’s certain: Sophie Power isn’t here to make you comfortable, she’s here to make you free.

The performance is part of Fringe World Perth at the Hat Trick at The Pleasure Garden from 21-25 January. It will be at Adelaide Fringe at The Gallery at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum from 19 February to 9 March.

Fringe World Perth

• Venue: The Hat Trick at The Pleasure Garden
  
• Dates: January 21–25 | 7:50 PM (60 mins)
  
• Tickets: FRINGE WORLD - 21 January - 15 February 2026
  

Adelaide Fringe

• Venue: The Gallery at The Courtyard of Curiosities (Migration Museum)
  
• Dates: February 19 – March 9 | 9:10 PM (60 mins)
  
• Tickets: CVNT | Adelaide Fringe - 20 February - 22 March 2026
  

Interviewed by Mary Sinanidis