Shhh is the mother of all comedy shows, merging bedtime with showtime. Ballou has to get the baby to sleep in time for the performance, but if not...the show must go on. Don't laugh too loudly or things could get ugly.  This is the final performance of a live art experiment that premiered at the Yard Theatre in 2018 and has since been performed at The Place, The Actors Studio Soho, the Mother Art Prize show at the Zabludowicz Collection, and CLAY Leeds. The (possibly) sleeping toddler on stage is a ticking time bomb that heightens the stakes for this funny mummy as she keeps entertaining you at all costs.  It’s also a moving feminist love letter to mothers and daughters everywhere.

Shhh has been supported by:

WomxnSRSLY

Procreate Project

The Zabludowicz Collection

Kingston School of Art’s Performing Arts Community Engagement Group

Race/Gender Matters Research Centre at Kingston University

Content note: nudity, explicit language, recommended for audiences 18+

Duration: 55 minutes

Reviews for Shhh

‘Frank and hilarious […] With a strong stage presence, Ballou skilfully weaves feminist theory, personal testimony and stand-up comedy.’  -Dance Tabs 

’Hannah is a true experimental artist who is tapping into existing forms while not adhering to their rules and doing shit that truly nobody else is doing.’ - Theresa Buchheister, The Brick, Brooklyn

Reviews for Hannah Ballou’s previous work

‘…an extraordinary journey of heartbreak, fun facts, searing insight, unexpected laughs and a whole lot more besides, in a densely packed but deeply felt hour [...] brilliantly challenging and uncompromising.’ - Ian Foster

'I watch her on screen, heavily pregnant and discussing the terrifying medical diagnosis that her unborn son received using a tableau of the vegetables that always seem to be used to chart a baby’s growth, with my heart in my mouth. Despite the grimness of the subject matter, it is hard not to crack a smile.' -The Guardian