Full disclosure: I loved this show! From being serenaded by the trio of performers dancing as the audience slips by to take their seats, to the high-octane, explosive finale, Mummy, I’m Scared! doesn’t invite you into its world, it drags you, keeling over with laughter, into the séance circle. You may not leave believing in ghosts, but you’ll certainly leave believing in the power of absurd comedy.
Devised and performed by Fia Morrison, Georgia Condon, and Alison Cooper, the work has its roots in the traditions of absurdism, camp melodrama, and devised performance.
Developed under the mentorship of performance maker Mish Grigor, Mummy, I’m Scared! was first presented earlier this year as part of ArtsLab: Reverb, a program from Shopfront Arts that showcases the talents of emerging artists. It’s now running for a short season at Sydney Fringe Festival.
The show emerges as a love letter to Morrison’s late grandmother, who instilled in her a belief in ghosts. Far from sombre, this inheritance manifests in riotous humour and gleefully unhinged theatrical invention.
We bear witness as Mummy FeatherBottom dies mid-dinner while reading her Will. She leaves behind her three daughters – Gwenda-line, Elizabethington and Genevieve. Together, they are terrified that their incompetent stepfather, Nigel, will inherit everything.
Their only hope? A séance to reconnect with their dearly departed mummy and secure their share of the estate. What follows is a breathless parade of melodramatic character swaps, bizarre props, audience interaction, and supernatural chaos.
Morrison, Condon, and Cooper slip between roles with manic energy and exaggerated physicality. Their commitment to each character makes the absurdity believable.
Cooper’s mangled facial expressions as the incompetent Nigel make me laugh just thinking about them. Condon delivers her douchiest game-addicted SAM-U-EL with restrained charm, which makes him all the more amusing.
Morrison showcases a masterclass in not breaking character when, as Baba, she switches between conniving old hag and sweet, caring wife.
What really sells the show is the writing. It’s fast-paced, gloriously meta, and unafraid to acknowledge its own ridiculousness. Morrison, Cooper, and Condon clearly trust one another on stage, and that ensemble synergy is the engine of the performance.
By the curtain call, the séance delivers what it promises: a mischievous, absurdist romp through grief, ghosts, and inheritance squabbles. I left utterly bewitched, completely enamoured by the creativity, risk-taking, and sheer stamina of the performers.
Mummy, I’m Scared! is an irreverent joy that highlights just how playful theatre can be. If you’re looking for an hour of absurd comedy delivered with heart and hilarity, gather your courage, and perhaps your Ouija board, and make your way to the house of the FeatherBottoms.
Mummy, I’m Scared! runs to 27 September at the Queer Hub, Qtopia Sydney, The Substation as part of 2025 Sydney Fringe Festival. 134 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney 2010.
Tickets: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/mummy-im-scared/
Website: https://sydneyfringe.com/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/heatpackco/
Photo credits: Lucy Parakhina
