Comedy for Mums...

“ Really raised the belly laughs - **** ’’  – South London Press

‘Gas and Hot Air’ is an hour long, daytime comedy sketch show about pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. Performed by mums Helen Rutter and Natasha Joseph and written over breastfeeding, sleepless nights and copious amounts of weight watchers cake. Aimed primarily at new mums and mums to be, babies under one are welcomed with open arms as long as they can't move much and don't mind a bit of fruity language.

Natasha and Helen first met in 2007 whilst walking their dogs in the local park. Both pregnant with their first child, both actors and both living on the same street, they have been inseparable ever since, as have their sons, born within weeks of each other. After Helen had a dream where they were performing stand up comedy to an audience of hysterical, laughing babies, the idea for 'Gas and Hot Air' was born......

They have both had successful and varied careers as actors, between them clocking up performances in 'Love Soup', 'Small Potatoes', 'Skins', ‘Mitchell and Webb’, ‘The Jim Jeffries Show’, ‘Blessed’, 'Holby City', 'Wire In The Blood', 'Coronation Street' and 'It's A Girl Thing' to name but a few, as well as plays at The National and the RSC amongst others.

The show has completed two runs at the popular comedy clubs, The Hob in Forest Hill, and the Bedford in Balham. What started out from very humble beginnings, grew very quickly, largely through word of mouth and by the third show, it was selling out the small 80 seater venue. It was reviewed by a young journalist from The South London Press who neither had nor wanted babies, regardless of this and despite being forced to spend her afternoon in a room full of lactating women, she still gave it four stars.

Helen has since moved North and is also performing a solo show in Sheffield.

'Gas and Hot Air' is a completely unique event - there is nothing else like it out there. Most activities for parents and babies are focused on entertaining the children rather than the adults. In the very early days of motherhood both Helen and Natasha found they craved activities that made them feel slightly less like they were completely losing their marbles and reassurance that they weren't alone in feeling the roller coaster of emotions that being a new mum can entail. The show takes a look at the humorous and sometimes ridiculous side of what can sometimes seem a daunting and impossible challenge and the feedback has been heart warmingly
positive.

Check out our sketches on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/comedyformums