Teenagers. OMG. Just saying it sends flashing neon warning alerts into the universe.

For many of us having a teenager is the most challenging thing that’s happened to us since we were teenagers ourselves. Does history really repeat, or can we teach our teens not to make the same mistakes we did? Would they even listen? Or course not. They’re teenagers. We know this.

Mum’s the Word 2: Teenagers director Anya Bowman tells it like it is: “You either have one, will have one, have no desire to have one, or once were one.”

This is a play that is relatable on so many levels, delivered with empathy and pathos by a talented cast of women who are either growing, living with or have survived teenagers.

There’s comedy, laser-like satire, sweetness, even sadness. And even when we’re laughing at the ridiculousness of the scenarios portrayed, we are acknowledging that, yes, that actually happened to us, and finally now we can laugh about it.

There are many stories, all well told and beautifully delivered, by the cast of Hannah Kennedy, Julie Smith, Ana Bremer, Sarah McCarthy and Jodi Halleux.

This is a sharply scripted play. The cutting and clever dialogue (and, often, monologue) is delivered with a tenderness and truth that is never far beneath the surface. There is a lot of physical comedy requiring sharp timing and total immersion by the actors.

All five of them have their time to shine.

Early in the piece, Ana Bremer impresses mightily with her story about a disastrous family hike that has her athletically scaling kitchen whiteware to terrifying heights. She’s a natural with a relaxed, appealing stage presence.

Sarah McCarthy, always an audience favourite, gets some killer scenes to work with. She’s that annoyingly naïve mum, she’s a rapper, she a dominatrix, she’s giving it everything with a knowing world-weary honesty. Impressive, and big-hearted, as always, with a genuine mic drop moment.

Jodi Halleux in her first Repertory Invercargill role shows range and decent stage chops. Her character is struggling with self-esteem issues and other life u-turns as a result of menopause. Her turn as the drill sergeant in the Mothers’ Military Bootcamp scene is priceless.

Hannah Kennedy is the hip mum character with the troubled past who’s having trouble trying to impress on her teen not to do the things she did. There’s the sadness that comes from her kid calling her stupid today, because she knows it’s only going to have more expletives added tomorrow.

Julie Smith’s character has breast cancer, and a suitably intelligently written script which she personifies with dignity and class.

There are laugh-out-loud surreal breakout scenes – the mums host a TV breakfast show complete with live on-the-spot reporting, sports and weather; the mums transform into superheroes (aren’t they all?) – but mostly they’re sitting around a table talking about their teens.

It’s hilarious as often as it’s sad, or confronting, or a little bit risqué. And it does answer that age-old question, if breasts could talk what would they sing?

Get in quick to see this marvellous play. Based on tonight’s full house, it’s a hot ticket.

MUM’S THE WORD 2 - TEENAGERS

By Jill Daum, Alison Kelly, Robin Nichol, Barbara Pollard and Deborah Williams

Directed by Anya Bowman

Repertory Invercargill

August 27-30

Repertory House

https://www.invercargillrepertory.co.nz/