Created and performed by Stephanie Hare
A highly entertaining hour of comedy about coming to terms with our challenging childhoods and finding strength in growth.
Reviewed by Rachael Vassallo
The Butterfly Club, Melbourne
Until 6th April, 2025
Tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/a-chance-to-address-the-amish-rumours/
Type: Sentimental, Absurd, Deadpan
If You Liked: Holes, Callum Straford, Rebecca Reynolds
4 STARS
Stephanie Hare grew up in Tasmania without even the most basic comforts which have been commonplace for over 100 years. Examples include refrigeration, electricity and gas. Instead her parents chose to live not simply but primitively; they got their milk from a goat and cooked directly on hot coals. Her house was built by hand by her mother around her growing up, initially beginning with just one room and then expanding to multiple wings. The stories she told were fascinating, and the audience was eager to delve deeper. Firstly, we discover Hare was not raised in the Amish community, but instead a pair of Catholic hippies who lived off-grid for the sake of their health and the environment. It all made for a very unique premise and absolute stunner of a show.
We, as people relish in stories that make us feel less alone, and this performance exemplifies this. Many of us felt like we were the only ones with weirdo parents surrounded by normality, and know exactly why we grew into the people we are today. Those families who self-fringed. Hare does not shy away and jokes about the trauma her upbringing caused but also reminisces on the love of her parents and her ongoing connection with them. Some examples of things she spoke about were that she did not know food can go off if kept in a fridge and is still confused by basic technology. The intimate sized audience was instantly gripped by her storytelling. It reminded me of the retro reality show Wife Swap. It’s a show where people realise that their lives arent as bizarre as they thought, and realise that a lot of kids grow into confused adults.
Hare appears on stage with a table, and on it is a vase, three antique books and a large glass of club soda (which becomes a part of a magic trick during the performance). Mundane to most, is mysterious to Hare. Magic of discovery forms the bulk of the dialogue, which focused on finding excitement and fascination with everyday objects. Hare’s delivery is softly spoken and monotone, that adds a lot of absurdity to her almost unbelievable stories of growing up. We giggle through her parents’ decisions and disagreements that come with living completely off-grid without any modern comforts. There are lots of laughs but many moments we are seated completely still and speechless.
The dialogue does become repeated, and scratches the surface of a very fascinating story. I left this performance with so many questions but also a strong sense of comfort in the fact I am not alone in feeling like I was the only weird one growing up. I would have liked to have seen stronger projection and more varied inflection in Hare’s voice alongside the very deadpan delivery. This is a monologue you want to drink and giggle through, a bar would have better suited the act as well as more audience participation.
Hare’s hour is thoroughly enjoyable, it’s a journey to the unseen yet relatable This is an utterly unique, highly entertaining story that in turn is not so strange after all. Anyone with a weird childhood can find themselves in good company at Hare’s hour and I am excited for its next iteration.
Book tickets to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025 here.
