Introducing New Zealand comedian, psychiatrist and author Dr Jo Prendergast who makes her Edinburgh Fringe debut with ‘The Cool Mum’ at the Gilded Balloon. The show is aimed at anyone who has been a parent or a child, and is a parody of a personal development seminar. She has also written a book for parents on teenage mental health, ‘When Life Sucks’.
‘The Cool Mum’ focuses on Jo’s own experiences - parenting her teenagers, but instead of admitting her parenting disasters, Jo turns disasters into evidence that she is a very cool mum. She doesn't wallow in parenting failure, but decides to share her coolness with the world. However, Jo is not as cool as she thinks she is. The show pokes fun at parenting, the generation gap and the quest for coolness.
Jo started standup comedy in 2017 at the age of 48 and was nominated for Breakthrough Comedian at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards 2020. She was long listed for the Billy T Award in September 2023. ‘The Cool Mum’ sold out the entire season at Adelaide Fringe 2023 and had full houses at the NZ International Comedy Festival.
Her next show ‘Cancer and Cartwheels’, is about Jo’s victory over cancer (and her cartwheeling ability) that has already toured the South Island of New Zealand this January and is programmed this year for the 2024 NZ International Comedy Festival.
Dr Jo Prendergast’s ‘The Cool Mum’ is at the Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Coorie Room @ 1pm for tickets go to www.edfringe.com
What is the last thing you do before you go onstage (apart from check your flies and/or check your knickers aren't sticking out of your skirt and check for spinach between your teeth)
I set my Apple smart watch to ‘equestrian sports’ (the watch can’t tell if you are doing equestrian sports or not - just get your heart rate up and it thinks you are show jumping!) - this is both to monitor my comedy set length and also my heart rate (had an SVT with heart rate of 200 near the end of a solo show once - always fun discreetly rushing to hospital after a show!)
What irritates you?
Excessive wind (IBS and meteorological)
People who stand up as soon as the plane lands (and thus don’t let me stand up as soon as the plane lands)
Morning people (until my coffee kicks in - then I’m an annoying morning person)
Anything preventing me having coffee within minutes of waking.
Narrow minded people (especially if they have a different opinion to me)
Homophobia
Transphobia
Racism
Ableism
Sexism
Screaming babies
Screaming adults
Screaming car engines
Menopausal hot flushes
Prickly heat
Humid heat
All heat (due to menopausal hot flushes)
What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
Hitch hiked home after my casino job in Nevada USA at 4am each morning when I was 20
Ridden a Nifty 50 moped to med school when I was 20
Driven a 1962 VW beetle with no second gear and dodgy brakes around NZ when I was 20
It’s surprising I made it to 21!
What is the most stupid thing you have ever done?
I once accidentally commented on my own FB post - but at least I agreed with myself – the last thing you want is people on FB watching you have an argument with yourself – on your own post!
What has surprised you the most during your career in comedy?
That I can make my breast cancer survivorship funny in my new solo show ‘Cancer and Cartwheels’.
Interview continues here
