Mum Club
Writer: Jorjia Gillis
Director: Ian Michael
Belvoir Downstairs Theatre
August 23 – September 20, 2026
If you thought motherhood was chaotic, wait until you see the Griffin production of Mum Club at Belvoir Downstairs Theatre. Playwright Jorjia Gillis and director Ian Michael plunge us into the sleep-deprived and lonely world of a first time mum.
Sadie is freshly moved from the Pilbarra to Sydney’s Inner West. With her mob back in Perth and her husband travelling all around NSW for work, she has to carry the weight of motherhood (and a baby that seemingly won’t stop crying) all on her own. Craving community, she joins a local Mum Club but not all the company is worth keeping!
Originally written as a one woman show, Gillis eventually decided to bring four more characters into her story and you’ll be glad she did! The mums in Sadie’s Mum Club are hysterical, in both senses of the word. Don’t look for nuance in the way Alex Malone and Ruby Teys play the two leading blonde bimbos of this borderline cult but that’s what makes the whole show so enjoyable.
Is being this cliché believable? You’d hope not. But is it hilarious? Absolutely. Alex and Ruby fully commit to their unhinged characters, making this inevitable train wreck impossible to look away from. To balance this madness, we’ve got leading lady Stephanie Somerville, excellent in her portrayal of the anxiety-ridden Sadie who just wants to do right by her newborn without losing her mind in the process.There is also a scene-stealing performance by Megan Wilding who brings Sadie back to reality and will make you wish she was your best friend. You may also have a strong urge to end all phone calls with a very specific “ta-ta” after the show.
Rounding up this colourful and oestrogen-heavy ensemble is Zarif, sole representative of the male contingent who effortlessly plays all male characters – and then some…
If the set and costume design of Mum Club is relatively straight forward, the scene changes are anything but. Ian Michael uses music and lighting to carry us from one space to another with a rhythmic flow, while actors get changed more rapidly than it takes Megan to say “ta-ta”.
Whether you’re a mum or not, Mum Club is a highly enjoyable show milking (pun intended) Sydney stereotypes and balanced beautifully between the sweet and the unhinged.
Tags : Comedy, Satire, New motherhood, Isolation, Loneliness, Modern parenting culture, Need for support, White culture, Aboriginal experience, Blak sisterhood.
