PERFORMER, comedian and writer Jerick Hoffer admits he has a soft spot for British audiences.

The American sensation will be bringing his alter-ego, Jinkx Monsoon to Manchester’s Contact Theatre for three nights with the show The Vaudevillians.

Appearing with Jinkx will be Major Scales, the evil twin of musician and performer Richard Andriessen and between them they will take the audience on a dark, hilarious and at times outrageous trip back in time to the 1920s.

“The show has a connection with British audiences, partly because my writing style reflects some of the British comedy influences which have inspired me from a very early age,” said Jerick.

“I started watching Absolutely Fabulous when I was 10 and I think I was also one of the few people of my age in America who has seen Harry Enfield and Friends and these have had an influence on my comedy.”

Jerick shot to fame in America when, with Jinkx Monsoon, he won the fifth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2013. The reality show set out to discover 'America’s next drag superstar'.

“I feel the American audiences have more of an interest in the celebrity aspect of the show I now do,” said Jerick.

“They come because they are fans of Jinkx and then are surprised that they are treated to a bone fide one-act musical comedy.

“Whereas the British audiences appear to be much more interested in the show itself and are very open minded about it all. They are really willing to go anywhere with me from the outset.”

The Vaudevillians has earned rave reviews both off Broadway and also when it came to London earlier this year.

So does Jerick feel that appearing on a high profile reality show has actually been a double-edged sword?

“Drag Race was a shortcut to take,” he said. “It was a very highly stressed situation and lots of aspects of it were really gruelling especially for someone like me who doesn’t like being in such a competitive arena, But it was the best decision I have ever made.

“It has led to a lot of opportunities and success and I’m still trying to convince myself it’s real.

“People got to know Jerick the artist a lot more than they got to know Jinkx the character on Drag Race. And I think at first those who fell in love with me as the artist and then came to my shows were taken aback by fact that Jinkx the drag queen is nothing like Jerick the artist. But l think it’s a pleasant surprise.

“But Drag Race has helped me; it has never really got in the way. It’s just an aspect of being an artist who is respected but you have also got a stage persona that is completely different from who you really are. It’s a lot of fun.

“Jinkx and Jerick are distinctly different people. Jinkx is an extension of my personality but she is also somewhere I put the less favourable parts of my personality.

“She is where I dump all my rage and hatred so I can be a more open minded, open hearted person in my day-to-day life.”

The Vaudevillians is witty and at times hard-hitting romp of a comedy as the two characters buried alive in Antarctica by an avalanche in the 1920s are freed from their icy tomb by global warming in the modern day.

And although now a well established show, Jerick admits that both Jinkx and Major Scales are not averse to improvising during the evening.

“There are certain parts of the show we adapt to whatever city we are in,” he said.

“Also the nature of it means there is room for ad-libbing. We have worked together for eight years so we are really in synch with each other on stage.”

The Vaudevillians, Contact Theatre, Manchester, December 7 to 9. Details from 0161 274 0600 or www.contactmcr.com