A funny, rude, musical support group for the everyday mum!
The ‘Scummy Mummies’ are celebrating their 10th anniversary with a live tour of their ’Greatest Hits’. Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn met at a comedy show, bonded on their shared mum trauma and have since joined forces on a podcast baring it all, but mostly the grim bits! Contrary to frequent descriptions of their fatigue, the show was a surge of energy: from dancing in Lycra catsuits while singing witty lyrics to early 2000’s classics to re-imagining 70s porn in underwear and drag. Ellie and Helen each took one side of the stage, hiding behind cleverly decorated screens for quick changes and congregating around a table laden with Prosecco and various items from their ‘Scummy Mummy survival kit’.
The two women certainly know their listeners. I, at 20, was without a doubt the youngest in the room, and another audience member, Charlie, was the only male, as we quickly found out. The majority of the audience, probably slightly tipsy, were in stitches throughout. I could feel the room holding each other when jokes straddled the line between funny and sad. I felt I was an outsider looking in, as if I had infiltrated their safe space and was overhearing a naughty conversation! I did occasionally feel that some sketches hadn’t quite stood the test of time, with a distinctly ‘millennial’ vibe, which was sometimes funny but began to tire in the second act.
The pair had a wonderful synergy; you can tell they are truly best friends. When things went slightly wrong with costumes and props, they were so snappy on the improv and had built such a great relationship with the audience that it could have been planned. I thought the costumes were fabulous, particularly at the opening of the second half, when the pair entered from the wings dressed as hairy, glittery, oversized labia. Slightly shocking moments like this were their strongest. I enjoyed their use of audience involvement, asking each of us to write down our parenting confessions in the interval and hand them in to be read aloud and judged. The fitting prize was a bottle of cheap Prosecco.
There was a noticeable focus on typical family structures and relationships that does well in their chosen demographic without allowing room for many others. However, it was comforting to experience a room full of women celebrating their changing bodies, their mistakes and their struggles. The final number, sung to a familiar tune, brought the show to a poignant end, and left me with at least a little hope in my potential future motherhood.