Being a mum is never easy, especially with entire households hunkering down during the pandemic.
To help fellow mothers find happiness in the most challenging times, Amanda Haymond, a Richmond mom-of-six, is launching a virtual comedy show via Zoom.
Mamacon Comedy - The Debut, a stand-up comedy show geared specifically for mothers, will take place online Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Haymond will be joined by three other comedians, who are also mothers, to share their humorous takes on motherhood.
She has been doing stand-up comedy for more than 20 years, but it wasn’t until recently Haymond discovered the importance and joy of creating a humorous show for mothers.
“I think it has been so hard for mothers during the pandemic because we have been so isolated. It’s never the same to do a story time online,” said Haymond, adding that the goal of the show is to help other moms cope with parenting stress, have a few laughs and stay connected.
Haymond told the Richmond News that her youngest son was born on Jan. 16 last year and then the pandemic hit B.C.
She has been busy taking care of four other school-age children at home during that time (another of her children is a U.S. Marine, stationed in Hawaii).
Meanwhile, she joined regular meetings with the Pacific Post Partum Support Society where she discovered her comedic talent made other mothers laugh.
“When I was in the support group, one of the ways I deal with the pain is to make jokes. We will laugh about things, and they said to me: ‘You need to do a stand-up show for mothers.’ I started thinking of the idea,” said Haymond.
To achieve the goal, Haymond even attended an online comedy writing course in Los Angeles.
Later, she put out a call on social media to invite other mother comedians to join her. She chose three - Lin Sun, a Cambodian-American single mom, Syd Bosel, B.C.’s “funniest new female comic” and a Seattle mother, Cara Rosellini.
Haymond said she is never running out of inspiration because her creativity is all around her - her children.
“My kids are so funny. I have a 13-year-old who just entered adolescence. She is embarrassed about everything I do,” laughed Haymond.
The virtual comedy show is slightly different from the ones Haymond used to have in Vancouver clubs, and sometimes there might be a lag when people laugh.
“We have physical relationships with the audiences in clubs, but on Zoom, you hear the hisses. We encourage people to keep their mics on, so we could hear them laugh,” said Haymond.
For more information about the upcoming Mamacon Comedy - The Debut, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mamacon-comedy-the-debut-tickets-138202097193.
