Serena Terry, comedian, author and creator of the online sensation ‘Mammy Banter’, is heading to Leisureland in Galway with Therapy, her boldest, funniest and most brutally honest stand-up show to date. Tickets are now on sale and you’re all invited to come along on this hilarious, yet deeply meaningful journey which all started with a bitta therapy…
After selling out two UK and Ireland tours, and becoming the first woman ever to sell out The SSE Arena in 2024, Serena should have been riding high. Instead, at the peak of her success, she found herself in the grips of depression. What followed was a four-month hiatus, an exhaustive list of therapies, and an explorative deep dive into self-care. Now she’s back at her best - still medicated, still peri-menopausal, occasionally a little bit mentally unstable - but functioning, wearing a bra in public again, and ready to spill the beans on everything that happened in between.
Strapline is: New trauma. New meds. New tour.
Tickets are now available at roisindubh.net for ‘Therapy’ on April 11th, Leisureland.
On how the show evolved, Serena shares; “I was in the middle of trying out new therapies in a bid to improve my mental health after coming out of depression, and the plan was to continue that and document it for the show. But then life threw me a few plot twists in the form of the death of a close friend, my marriage ending, an ADHD diagnosis and then the death of my dad. So the show is now a recap of everything I’ve been through in the last year - new trauma served on a platter made of perimenopause and parenting chaos.”
These are experiences most people will face at some point in their lives. ‘Therapy’ has become, in Serena’s words, “A trauma dump that will hopefully not only allow others to resonate with the quiet parts of struggling, that I talk about out loud, but also find the funny in it. If there's one thing us Irish do well, it's using humour as a coping mechanism, and this show is underpinned by that.”
Q. How did turning 40 (or approaching it!) influence this whole experiment?
A. I’m 40 next week, and to say I’m using this as a catalyst to start living life on my terms would be an understatement. I’m not worried about ageing - ageing is a gift. My two brothers died when they were 38, so I feel privileged to have time on this earth. Not just surviving, but living. This feels like the age where I actually start doing that and stop sweating the small stuff.
Q. What’s the biggest myth about ‘self-care’ that you’ve discovered?
A. That it’s easy to practice. It’s not, it’s one of the hardest things to commit to, especially if you’re a mother. Us mums put ourselves last in everything to the point where a coffee and 5 minutes peace sometimes feels like self-care, but it’s not. It takes us being selfish, which goes against our nature as mothers, but in order to look after ourselves not just physically but mentally, we really need to dig into our selfish stores and put ourselves first more often by giving ourselves time to do things that bring us joy, and separate us from the responsibility role. But it is very hard. A simple task of drinking 1 litre of water a day feels like a mammoth challenge to me most days.
Q. Do you ever feel pressure to be funny even when you’re not feeling great?
A. I used to, but not anymore. That’s why I took a hiatus last year when I was depressed and my personal life was imploding. It’s impossible to be funny when you can't even smile yourself. I struggled with that because that is my job and how I learn a living. But like any job, we have to prioritise our mental health over work. No amount of money or status in the world is worth sacrificing that.
Q. How did your online persona as Mammy Banter influence this journey?
A. She is essentially me. The validation that came with being brutally honest gave me more confidence to just be myself, rather than portraying that I’m something I’m not.
Q. Has exploring therapy changed the way you create comedy?
A. Yes, because it is something that we all need and experience, even if it's not in a professional setting. Chatting to your girl friends, venting, complaining - that's therapy in itself and that's how I want to deliver my material: as if I’m your friend just chatting about the chaos we face every day.
Q. If you could give your 30-year-old self one bit of advice after all this, what would it be?
A. I’d love her to take this in and believe it but I know she wouldn't, because she hasn’t experienced the humility that comes with ageing, and the perspective that comes with grief and trauma. But damnit woman, get out of your own way. Stop caring about what people think and do what makes you happy. Oh! - and start taking collagen and turmeric now!
Q. If Mammy Banter could prescribe one therapy for all Irish mammies, what would it be?
A. A night with the girls. Properly relaxed with zero responsibility for anyone else but yourself. A wee drink in a safe space among people who won't judge you and who give you the freedom to say whatever's on your mind - no matter how unhinged it is. It’s basically my show in a larger setting, haha!
Tickets for Serena Terry: Therapy on Saturday April 11th, Leisureland are now available on roisindubh.net. So come on down and bring your friends, your significant other, your parents, your neighbours, or even go solo (because why the hell not?) and get your tickets here. After all, don't we all need some Therapy?
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