Review: THE GOOD ENOUGH MUMS CLUB, Birmingham Hippodrome - Tour
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
The Good Enough Mums Club is a recognition and celebration of motherhood and all of the trials and joys that come with such an under-appreciated title. If you are not a parent, don't let the title dissuade you from the opportunity to enjoy and sympathise with these underrated warriors. There is something for everyone in this show crafted with love during its 10-year creation period.
The Good Enough Mums Club is a heartwarming and inspirational story, focusing on the themes of motherhood, community, and the idea that perfection is not always necessary. The story follows five women as they unite to save their local playgroup, facing various challenges and personal growth along the way. Throughout the musical, we are exposed to their individual struggles, insecurities and judgements, as well as their transformations as they name their trauma and work together. The Good Enough Mums Club could be a powerful exploration of the strength that comes from solidarity and the realisation that "good enough" is more than sufficient.
In the ‘Cell Block Tango’ style introduction, we meet our cast of five mothers: Michelle, Bea, Sophie, Chantel and Esme, played by Rebecca Bernice Amissah, Joanna Kirkland, Amy Ross, Jade Samuels and Belinda Wollaston respectively. The Good Enough Mums Club tries to display a compelling and emotionally charged narrative (with some witty moments) that delves into the real challenges of mothers in society. As the show progresses, each of the characters reveal their individual struggles and vulnerabilities. The two-hour duration, including interval, provides ample time for the plot to unfold, yet this time is not always efficiently spent.
The format allows for the exploration of various issues that many people can relate to, such as the pressures of motherhood, financial difficulty and the difference in class, feelings of isolation, the pursuit of perfection and the judgement that can come from society and even from within. It is clear that the intent is to address hard-hitting topics in an endearing and relatable way to offer a platform for entertainment, relatability and meaningful reflection. However, its delivery is a little too "on the nose" and lacks subtlety and nuance.
The Good Enough Mums Club's structure feels quite formulaic, with characters quickly revealing their issue through song and for some, resolving their issues in a predictable manner, or simply moving on, never to be referenced again for others. This limits the depth or emotional investment you're looking for, especially in a musical that aims to explore hard-hitting and relatable topics. Some of the stories appear somewhat out of the blue with the most tenuous links, leading to the idea that topics are shoehorned in; here's a number about racism not always being as blatant as a knee to the neck. The playgroup serves as a vessel to bring the stories together and due to the methodical storytelling, bares very little impact in the entire narrative. The piece is generally lacking in awareness of intersectionality and would benefit from the stories weaving together in a contrapuntal melody rather than being delivered in numerical order.
That being said, there are many moments of joy and laugh out loud comedy. Anyone with experience of children has imagined that these cooing, crying, crawling bundles of delight are conspiring sadists out to manipulate and cause destruction. There are several moments when the women become their own beloved children with such detailed and endearing characterisation one can not help but laugh out loud. The hilarity of watching the characters soothe their children with the neverending games of peek-a-boo and tag teaming in and out of adult conversation and the role of child entertainer. The actors themselves are of fine voice delivering soulful, heartfelt emotion through song. Special mention to Jade Samuels for a spoken-word/rap delivered at machine gun speed followed by tingling vocal gymnastics, and Rebecca Bernice Amissah who has a tone as smooth and rich as butter. The vocal arrangements are delightfully quirky and unpredictable, and the choreography is powerful and accessible.
This, all-women, pardon me, this all-mother production and performance team has a lot to be proud of. It is essentially the calendar girls for the modern day mum, and we are here for it. All of the bants and all of the hardships. The Good Enough Mums Club aims to remind all mothers that you are doing a cracking job, you are not alone and behind every parent baby group door is a support system beyond your wildest dreams.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Alanna Boden
The Good Enough Mums Club plays at the Birmingham Hippodrome until this evening (28 October) before touring, with further information here.