It’s Mother’s Day and I’m out in Northbridge with a a fellow mum. I am fully convinced that I was in the right state to be enjoying Bad Mums. I needed some validation for piking on the family.
I’ve heard of Nikki Justice and read reviews of her shows, so I thought she would be the perfect cheerleader for all “bad mums” out there. I was expecting wild stories and tales that you could only laugh about in non-judgmental, impolite company. Bad Mums delivered all these… and then some.
Nikki reminds me of a young, female version of Dave Hughes. She is brash and blunt like Hughesy. making her polarising figure. You will either love her unabashed humour or hate it. While she was a crowd pleaser for the most part, she did make some jokes which were a little off colour. In particular, while I could see some of the humour in her jokes about neurodiversity, I don’t think they would have necessarily sat well with someone who lives through that experience.
Bad Mums is an ensemble driven show. The other comedians in the lineup for Bad Mums were Janelle Koenig, Emma Krause, Nat Locke and Daniel Delby.
Yes, you read right, there was a male comedian during a show for mums wanting a wild night of commiseration over motherhood battles. The event description said his presence would make sense on the night. However, I struggled to figure it out.
Regardless of the rationale behind his inclusion, Daniel was a surprise hit. He comes across as bashfully awkward but don’t be fooled. His improv skills were top notch. He rolled with punches and piled on to jokes which were made in the earlier segments. His true talent shone through in the surprise R and B dedication he pulled out of thin air after asking an audience member five questions.
My favourite act was the veteran herself, Janelle Koenig. You know she’s good when she manages to create comedy out of events that have literally happened the night before. And yes, I can confirm these are true as I watched her Instagram stories as it happened.
With a cheeky glint in her eye, she regaled us with her misadventures. Comedians often come across as over the top when retelling anecdotes but Janelle seems to balance it perfectly. In fact, watching her omade me feel like I was having coffee with one of my dearest friends. You know those kind of catch ups where you gossip without judgment and have the heartiest of laughs over the most ridiculous things.
The show ended on a roaring high, with Nikki and Daniel reading out the worst mum confessions. I was a disappointed that there weren’t more of these as I felt that this would have been the essence of what Bad Mums is all about.
Nevertheless, it was a great night out. A much needed respite from the daily grind of trying to be the best mum ever.