Type – Satire, Indigenous Australian story, New Motherhood
If you liked – Blaque Showgirls, Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner, The Let Down (TV)
Mum Club: Raw, chaotic, generous and tender – a love letter to the messiness of Blak motherhood
Written by proud Budawang/Yuin woman Jorjia Gillis, Mum Club is a punchy satirical comedy about the experience of new motherhood as an Aboriginal woman. Inspired by personal experience, the work explores the impossible expectations on mothers and severe isolation you feel as a first-time mum. She says, “it started as a one-woman show and I very quickly realised there are so many amazing characters that I wanted to showcase, we need a proper comedic ensemble for this.”
Set in current day Sydney, the work follows Sadie, a brand-new mum and Martu woman who’s navigating life in a new city after moving interstate for her partner’s job. With a whole lot of birth trauma, her entire support network on the other side of the country and her partner being constantly away for work, she joins a local mum’s group in search of connection, support and like-minded parents. Her discomfort turns to caginess as the other mums become increasingly superficial and competitive and she finds herself connecting most with the gay dad in the group. What follows is 90 mins of thought provoking, confronting and diabolically funny Australian theatre.
The work opens with Sadie (Stephanie Somerville) in stirrups while a medical professional puts a gloved finger inside of her and barks ‘squeeze and hold’ orders from under her draped lower half. The work is fast paced; with frequent scene changes and so much zingy comedy it feels a bit like a sketch show. The pithy and pacey dialogue crackles with witty jokes and constant racist remarks – backhanded, indirect and often in the under the guise of care.
Chris Baldwin’s set shows the inside of Sadie’s home in baby Yaala’s room with a crib and feeding chair, books, baby wipes and an overflowing laundry hamper. Scene changes are cleverly simple and effective – moving from park catchup to medical clinic with the change of a banner backdrop, the placement of a baby carrier on the ground, or a change costume.
Stephanie Somerville gives a generous and compelling performance in the central role, beautifully portraying Sadie’s fragility and overwhelming sense of isolation. Her fear is palpable in the nuanced and layered characterisation that demonstrates her attempt to balance wanting to fit in with the other mums, needing to stay true to herself and keeping her baby well when she’s completely exhausted and has blocked milk ducts.
As the insufferable and repulsive, active-wear cladded, inner-west ladies, Ruby Teys and Alex Malone portray these particularly unbearable women with great commitment and physical comedy. Zarif‘s performance encompasses multiple characters that feel fully formed and don’t fall into caricature, including Hot Tired Fashion Gay Dad, North Shore Mum and Med Student. Their performance brings a necessary connecting point between the highly contrasting women and has a particularly hilarious moment starring in Sadie’s dream.
Proud Gamilaroi woman Megan Wilding plays the role of Sista Girl, the receptionist who Sadie meets at the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern. Gillis says “she’s based on four women who really shaped my motherhood experience, who were all Aboriginal. They provided reassurance and went above and beyond to be there for me and my daughter, so it was really important to highlight that. I wanted to show the craziness, the competitiveness and the funniness of a mum club world, but also that difference of how Blak motherhood works.”
The character is such a grounding force in the story and acutely highlights how different a Blak woman’s experience is as well as the invaluable impact being surrounded by mob has. Contrasting with the fast-paced physical comedy from the others, Wilding delivers a masterclass in subtle, perfectly timed comedy. Her Sista Girl is so warm and empathetic, and her rich chemistry with Sommerville leaves me wishing she was in every scene.
The writing doesn’t shy away from exposing the subtle – as well as very un-subtle – prejudice experienced by Aboriginal mothers and the damage unchecked ignorance does in the name of inclusion. Tonally the comedy is completely satirical with breathtakingly racist lines that get gasps of horror from the entire audience and leave us in the uncomfortable.
Director and proud Noongar man Ian Michael ensures the dizzyingly fast and funny text doesn’t drown out the tender and unapologetic underpinning sentiment. Beneath the humour of Gillis’ writing lies a lived-experience-inspired examination of how racism and sexism intersect, which Michael keeps at the forefront of the production, allowing us to laugh, reflect and empathise simultaneously in a cohesive production.
Is MUM CLUB Worth Seeing in SYDNEY?
Mum Club is a culturally significant work, a critique of our social structures that impact the experience of motherhood particularly for Aboriginal women. Delivered with an unapologetic and fearless hilarity that mocks contemporary parenting culture, the work provides incisive commentary on race, community and identity through motherhood.
Not just for Aboriginal audiences or parents, the work is hilarious and relatable for anyone who’s ever felt ostracised by how much better everyone else seems to be doing in life than you.
Tickets and Practical Info for MUM CLUB in SYDNEY 🎟️
Playwright Jorjia Gillis
Director Ian Michael
Dramaturg Dylan Van Den Berg
Designer Cris Baldwin
Costume Co-Designer Keerthi Subramanyam
Lighting Designer Verity Hampson
Composer and Sound Designer Brendon Boney
Movement & Fight Director Tim Dashwood
Intimacy Director Chloë Dallimore
Vocal Coach Angela Sullen
Associate Director Abbie-lee Lewis
Associate Sound Designer & Programmer Daniel Herten
Stage Manager Taylah Crouch
Cast Alex Malone, Megan Wilding, Ruby Teys, Stephanie Somerville, Zarif
Griffin Theatre Company presents Mum Club in association with Belvoir St Theatre.
