In a dark corner of a small and intimate theatre, the shadowy figure of Amy Hetherington is crouching down while holding a microphone. She announces the start of the show, “Proud as Punch,” and introduces herself to the audience. As she enthusiastically runs to the stage, she is received by the applause of a largely female audience. Upon noticing this, Hetherington conducts a brief survey to see how many of her fans are mothers, which too is received by cheers from the crowd. When asking how many did not have children, my friend and I were the only ones to give a small shout. She then directly looks at us and warns us, “this show is going to be the best contraceptive.” In retrospect, she was not lying.
“Proud as Punch,” she explained, comes from her change in perspective on the definition of “proud” since becoming a mother, her standards finding themselves in hell. “Last week, a kid took a shit on the water slide, but it wasn’t mine, it was my friend’s kid!” She bragged. This first joke pretty much explains the trajectory of the entire show.
Throughout the show, Hetherington shares funny anecdotes about her sassy three year old daughter, her stoic yet kindhearted engineer husband and her eclectic parents. Instead of watching a comedy show, it felt like I was catching up with an old friend. Sometimes, the crowd would chip and tell stories about their own children. And just like a conversation with friends, time flew by, and before I knew it, the one-hour show was already over.
Hetherington confidently presents a very casual form of stand-up comedy, not overly relying on making fun of audience members or forcing punchlines. By sharing stories about interesting characters in her life and delivering them in a dynamic way, she kept us entertained and reminded us of people in our own life. It’s the kind of comedy where it seems like anyone can do it, but it takes a particular personality to successfully deliver it. It feels natural.
When finding out that the show was mostly about motherhood and being a wife, I was scared that, as a university student who has never been in a serious relationship, I would not be able to relate or laugh along. But her stories did seem very familiar, I just had a different perspective. Once upon a time, I was that sassy three-year-old toddler who hid in public spaces to scare my parents because I wasn’t getting enough attention. So, in the corner, I laughed, not because I related to her struggle, but because I was once the source of that struggle.
“Proud as Punch” was a surprisingly enjoyable show for me. If you enjoy eavesdropping on women talking shit way too loudly in public, this show is for you. Being around a sea of mums on a girls’ night out, you will be coming home with a lot of knowledge about random characters in their life you know nothing about.