‘There’s no such thing as the right moment – there is only now’
Friends have been telling Arlene Greenhouse she’s funny since she was a child. But it took decades for her to find the courage to use her sense of humour in a different way
II could think of a hundred reasons to do it, and not a single reason not to
’ve been fascinated by comedy since I was a child. Growing up, I got used to the heckling from my family, and telling jokes became my way of getting myself heard at the dinner table.
Comedy was always my passion. I spent my 20s absorbing as much stand-up as I could. I lived in the US for a while and watched brilliant women like Joan Rivers and Roseanne Barr. I loved their bold, ballsy style of comedy, and they left a deep impression on me. But my own career took me down a different path.
I’ve worked as a psychotherapist for more than two decades. It’s a job that’s often fraught with emotions and my dry sense of humour became my outlet outside of work. I suppose comedy was my back-pocket idea – something I thought I might get around to one day, if the time was ever right.
I know now that there is no such thing as the right moment. There is only now. It was around four years ago, when my children became teenagers, that I found myself with a bit more time on my hands. I almost didn’t realise I was looking for something new to fill my time until I stumbled upon just what I was looking for. It was a course in stand-up comedy for novices.
Knowing that this opportunity was there for the taking made me realise that if I wanted something to happen, only I could make it happen. I had a hundred reasons to do it and not a single reason not to.
On the course, I learnt how to turn my observations about life into comedy, how to create a punchline and how to deal with hecklers. It may sound like a cliché but, from the moment I stumbled into this world, I felt like I’d come home. This mixed bag of people, of all ages and all walks of life, were my people.
Within weeks of finishing the course, I was doing stand-up comedy gigs at local pubs and clubs. I learnt my routine by heart until performing it became second nature. Even my kids knew my set off by heart.
The lovely thing about comedy is the instant gratification – if someone thinks you’re funny, they laugh.
I understand that for most people, the thought of standing on a stage and having to make strangers laugh is like something out of a nightmare. But for me, being at a dinner party and making small talk is more terrifying. Before I utter a single word the audience already respects me, just for getting up there and giving it a go!
I guess I have always been a bit of an extrovert, too. I’ve got a pretty thick skin and to my great relief, I do get some laughs!
Some of my material is based on personal experiences, involving my dog, my teenagers and my husband. When I first started doing stand-up he would come along to watch me, but because I picked on him so much, he’s decided to support me from home, instead!
My children also choose to keep their distance. My son is 18 now, and recently he asked me to take one of my videos down from Youtube because he was ‘getting some stick’ from his friends.
I do know that they have a lot of respect for what I’m doing, though, and I’m so pleased about that. While I did this for me, I also did it for them. I suppose I wanted them to understand that at any juncture in life, you can get up and do something new. I did, and I hope that they’re proud of me.