Come and see the hilarious new play Pony with your baby (and the HerCanberra team!)

Posted on 2 June, 2023

Pony asks: “When does getting down on the dancefloor turn into nursery rhymes?”. And now you can come and see it at a special Babes in Arms session!

Modern perceptions of motherhood (especially here in progressive Canberra) have never been more flexible and inclusive. And yet, that doesn’t mean someone’s personal journey into this new role is straightforward.

While we might now have big-brand car ads telling us it’s normal for mums to play their kids rap music on the school run and TikTok ‘mum-influencers’ sharing realistic portrayals of parenthood without the gloss, that doesn’t mean everyone is ready to become “mum”.

Enter Pony, the debut play from Eloise Snape, a side-splittingly funny dark comedy about a woman who’s technically ready to enter motherhood physically, if not mentally. Described as “no angel” Hazel might be about to give birth to a bundle of joy but whether she’s ready to become a mum is another question.

A “delusional, reality TV-obsessed fantasist who swears like a sailor and has a fondness for greased-up male strippers”, Hazel is going through the motions of soon-to-be-motherhood while asking the big questions, like “What happens when you’re not ready to swap grinding to Ginuwine for nursery rhymes?”.

“We’re meeting Hazel as she’s experiencing pregnancy for the first time, so it’s a huge transition for her,” explains actor Briallen Clarke, who plays Hazel and indeed all of the 30-plus characters in this one-woman show.

“Anyone who’s been through any kind of big transition in their life will know that feeling…what does this new chapter mean for your whole self? What are you going to have to part with? How is this new experience going to go?”

About our Babes in Arms matinee and morning tea

Showing from 22–24 June at Canberra Theatre Centre, new parents will have the chance to experience a theatre event tailored for them at a special Babes In Arms matinee and morning tea on Thursday 22 June from 10 am­–12.30 pm, co-hosted by HerCanberra!

Before the show, coffee and cake will be provided in the foyer so you can get fuelled up before you head into the theatre for Pony, with pram parking, change facilities and a quiet room set up for parents. Screens will be set up in the quiet room to relay the on-stage performance, meaning you won’t miss a minute.

Breastfeeding is, of course, welcome and house lights will be left on, with a range of noise and movement forgiven in the auditorium. However, we should note that because of the adult nature of the content, it is recommended that only babies under or around 12 months attend.

The perfect play to see with your parenting tribe

“I can’t wait,” Briallen says of the Babes in Arms event. “I think it’s the perfect play to watch en masse with other parents.”

As you might expect, Briallen describes playing Hazel as “a thrill”.

“A character like this doesn’t come along very often,” she says. “As soon as I read the script I thought ‘Oh my gosh’.”

Written by Eloise Snape two months post-partum, Briallen says the script is refreshingly modern.

“[Hazel] is having this ageing Millennial experience of having grown up a feminist but still having some internal hang ups and grappling with those two worlds [in pregnancy]. I definitely don’t see this character represented on stage so for me, it’s amazing.”

When I ask why the show is described as both hilarious and moving, Briallen says it all comes down to how “real and connected” Eloise’s writing is when relaying the female experience.

“We can be bosses and total messes in the same breath. Sometimes the most hilarious moments can be the most devastating. You can be confronting something absolutely traumatic and you find yourself laughing. We can be messy and complex and all of the things…it’s how we as humans behave.”