The Motherhood @ The Rechabite
Friday, November 11, 2022
With a title like The Motherhood, this trio of female comedians don’t beat around the bush with their demographic, presenting a show about, you guessed it, motherhood (and failing that, their hatred for their husbands)!
This targeted audience was made amusingly clear when comedian Pony Knox asks “where are all the childless and single people,” to which their cheers were met with a resounding “F*ck you.”
Despite this, the self-deprecating jokes and brutally honest reflections on parenthood had a strong appeal, even for the childless pariahs, as the three comedians twisted their often-horrifying glimpses into motherhood, into cackle-worthy anecdotes and well-thought-out one liners.
Opening the show was Pony Knox, whose unabashedly candid reflections on the impact of age and motherhood on her night life was emphasised by her mediations on the importance of shapewear (revealing for the audience her own, with such aggression that the act could be described as nothing other than intimidating, though hilarious). Knox’s strength in crowd work during her set was the perfect energy to kick start the show, getting people warmed up and settled in for a laugh, particularly the childless audience members wondering what the hell they’d got themselves into.
Comedian and mother of twins Emma Krause followed suit with an eye-watering insight into the challenges of raising two twin teenage girls. When she announced that she was a relief teacher in Midland, the crowd were pretty prepared for comedy gold, and Krause didn’t disappoint, with hilarious anecdotes about her students.
Before the final set, Krause was joined on stage again by Knox, and the yet-to-perform Simone Springer for a round of ‘Confessions’ where the performers had gathered hilariously unflattering confessions from mothers in the audience and read them out on stage. A particularly controversial crowd favourite was the anonymous confessor who confided that she let her children eat flavoured lube on ice cream.
Following this, final comedian Simone Springer took the stage, though only after Krause had thoroughly embarrassed her with a truly spectacular hangover story which left many laughing a bit too suspiciously in empathy. Her set, mostly about her two sons, was a brilliantly crafted journey of misdirection and authenticity. Providing insight into her efforts to raise an older son with ADD (cue many Dexie jokes) and a younger son whose newfound passion is interpretive dance, Springer’s stories made for a brilliant closing set.
Had the crowd not just sat through the last almost hour of the most chaotic female comedy in Perth, a rap number in the finale would have been a surprise, however as the trio took to the stage in matching hoodies (‘The Mother Hoodie’) and rapped about their love of the comfort wear, it was as if no other closing act would have sufficed. While this was the only piece that felt somewhat cringeworthy, the commitment by Knox to her bogan, hyper masculine rapper persona eventually sold this finale piece as great conclusion to the show.
Overall, the show was a genuine delight and, regardless of viewers’ parental and marital status, had a strong appeal as an excellent selection of female-driven comedy. Next time they’re putting on a show in town, The Motherhood are absolutely a must-see.
BEC WELDON
