The Hairy Marys |
Born From Chaos, Carers and a Wicked Sense of Humour |
What do you get when two single mums, both carers, support each other through parenting, schools, hospitals and the general absurdity of trying to hold a life together?
Apparently, you get The Hairy Marys. The short form comedy web series began with local Coochiemudlians Moze and Tamara doing what overwhelmed women have done since the dawn of time: finding something to laugh about before they started crying. Quite often, they did both. The pair were part of a close-knit group of mums who became a kind of chosen family for one another.
They were raising children, advocating for them, dealing with complex systems, finding whatever paid work could fit around caring responsibilities and trying to get through each day with everyone fed, clothed and approximately where they were supposed to be. These were not the thriving years, Moze says. They were the survival years. And survival requires friends, a sense of humour and, on particularly difficult days, possibly a cold beverage.
About 12 years ago, Moze and Tamara created a private Facebook group where they could record the ridiculous things that happened to them. It became a place to write the story they wished had unfolded after the real one went spectacularly sideways. The posts began with the familiar cry of exhausted mothers everywhere: “Oh my God, you won’t believe what happened today.” From there, real-life moments became throwaway lines, character ideas and exaggerated scenes.
The women collected the sort of material that life generously supplies when it has mistaken you for the lead character in a sitcom.
Over time, those stories grew into The Hairy Marys. The episodes are not direct retellings of individual events. They are a glorious patchwork of experiences, stitched together and turned up several notches for comic effect.
One school scene, for example, was inspired by a meeting Moze attended with 13 professionals in the room and an arrangement of chairs that seemed specifically designed to make her feel two feet tall.
In real life, it was intimidating and deeply distressing. In comedy, however, you are allowed to rearrange the furniture and get a little revenge.
That balance between laughter and heartbreak sits at the centre of The Hairy Marys.
The creators wanted people to laugh, really laugh, but they also wanted to pull back the curtain on caring. Much of this work happens quietly inside homes every day. It is frequently unseen, unpaid and unsupported.
There is no superannuation for the years spent caring, no neat career ladder and very little chance of maintaining a normal working day when the school rings at 9am and asks you to collect your child.
As Moze puts it, those are “not conditions for success”. Yet the children themselves are never the joke. That was one of the guiding principles established at the beginning of the project. The humour is aimed at the overwhelmed adults, bewildering bureaucracy, unhelpful systems and colourful community characters orbiting around them.
One such character is the small-community busybody who appears to be the Census data collector, teachers aid, nurse, neighbourhood correspondent and unofficial Director of Everybody Else’s Business. Every small community has at least one. Some have a roster.
But The Hairy Marys also celebrates the other side of community: the people who quietly step in. Moze remembers kind ferry and barge workers making space for her son in different ways when things were difficult. Moze said she has “cried because those small gestures had meant so much”.
The friendship between the families has endured, too. Years later, Tamara’s eldest son now visits every Monday as a support worker, teaching cooking and spending time. The children who grew up alongside one another, learning to sit comfortably amid the chaos, have become compassionate and non-judgemental young adults. That may be the most beautiful part of the whole story.
Turning their collection of lived experiences into a finished production was an extraordinarily long process. There were grants, writers’ rooms and mentoring from some impressive names, including The Sapphires director Wayne Blair and comedy legend Tim Ferguson, whose advice was essentially to embrace the absurdity and make the jokes even more ridiculous.
A dangerous suggestion to give two women already blessed with years of material. There were writers rooms during the COVID years, filming in the Northern Territory, casting and plenty of moments when Moze had to step back and trust Tamara to carry the creative vision forward. Moze is quick to credit her co-writer for driving the project through to completion. “It’s a project of love,” she says.
The result is a short-form web series made with carers in mind. The episodes are brief because, realistically, carers do not often have a spare hour. They may, however, manage seven minutes between phone calls, appointments and someone announcing that an entirely avoidable crisis has occurred.
The Hairy Marys offers those carers recognition, company and a much-needed laugh. For everyone else, it offers a glimpse into a world that is often hidden behind closed doors. It is funny because it is absurd. It is moving because beneath the exaggeration, the ridiculous characters and the occasional badly behaved adult, it is telling the truth.
Sometimes life is messy. Sometimes parenting is survival. Sometimes the system is so maddening that your only choices are to laugh, cry or turn it into a comedy series. Moze and Tamara decided to do all three. |
90 Comments
Join the conversation
The fact that Tamara’s son now helps out as a support worker is the sweetest. Goes to show the kids are alright!
Goes to show you, the best stories come straight out of real life. Congrats to the whole crew!
This inspires me to write down my own family’s wild moments. Maybe not quite as funny, but who knows?
This will be my new show for watching between endless phone calls. Thanks for making something for the rest of us!
I don’t have kids but I get how hard caring can be. Respect for turning hardship into laughter.
If you can’t laugh, you’ll cry. Glad these ladies picked laughter (and the occasional cold bevvy).
Will this be on TV at some point? Web series are great but I want to show my mum and she’s not on socials.
Didn’t expect to tear up reading this, but here we are. Those small community gestures mean the world.
Gotta admit, I was skeptical but now I want to check it out. Local humour actually worth watching? Fingers crossed.
Appreciate that the creators thank each other, you can tell there's a lot of heart in it. Will give it a go.
I got teary reading about Tamara’s son coming back as a support worker. The kids really do grow up kind when they’ve seen stuff.
Hope they do an episode about the endless forms. That’s peak carer life if you ask me.
Filming in the Territory? That must have been a wild experience on its own. Good on them for seeing it through.
Hope this helps more people see what carers deal with day to day. It’s not easy and most people just don’t know.
Lovely to hear the friendship’s lasted so long. Hope these episodes get picked up by a bigger network.
Good reminder that not all heroes have capes, some just have never-ending laundry and group chats.
Love seeing women supporting women and making art out of chaos. Rooting for them!
I relate to the seven minutes between crises! My house is always chaos, maybe The Hairy Marys will make me feel less alone.
I hope the episodes shine a light on the broken systems too. Some of those meetings are farcical.
Single mums making art together, I love to see it. Community can make all the difference.
The name 'Hairy Marys' has me curious! Wondering how they'll reveal it in the show.
I’m honestly sick of ‘wonder-mum’ shows. Give me some proper messy real life! This looks like a breath of fresh air.
If Tim Ferguson told you to embrace the ridiculous, I’m in. Comedy legend!
I wish my local mum group was as fun as this lot. We mostly just complain about lost hats.
Carer here, thanks for making short episodes! I barely have time to breathe most days.
A comedy about carers, made by carers? You know it’s going to be real. Props to Moze and Tamara for making it happen.
Glad they kept the kids off-limits for jokes. Adults are fair game!
Survival years is spot on. My friend group basically held me together with memes and cups of tea.
Nice to see something that’s not all doom and gloom about caring. More laughter, less pity please!
What an awesome project. Makes me wish my friends had filmed our disaster parenting years!
Lived experience makes the best comedy. Glad it’s not just all dramatic or sad!
Hope the series stays true and doesn’t get too silly. The stories sound good enough already!
Small towns sure do have those 'directors of everyone else's business.' Loved that line, so accurate it's scary.
It’s amazing the kids all grew up to be so compassionate. Must’ve done something right in all that chaos!
The line about having maybe seven minutes between crises is so true for carers!
Honestly, I just want to know what ‘The Hairy Marys’ means now. Can’t wait for that episode.
I wish more media talked about the hidden work carers do. Maybe folks will finally get it after seeing this.
Love it ! Could have done with friends like these when myself, a sole parent, and my son were dragged in front of a primary school kangaroo court 30+ years ago. It's great to see you turn adversity into creativity. Rock on.
So cool to see something funny AND honest made by locals. Coochie representing!
Lol at the idea of rearranging the chairs for revenge. Been there in those meetings, felt that!
Comedy with Wayne Blair and Tim Ferguson involved? That’s going to be some top tier jokes, I reckon!
So true, community can be a pain but also a lifesaver. Our neighbours have saved me plenty of times.
Big thanks for showing the reality of carers. The work goes unnoticed way too much. Glad someone’s shining a light.
Mums supporting mums is the only way you get through sometimes. Loving the friendship here.
I gotta say, I never thought I’d see someone make comedy gold out of school meetings. Genius.
Good on Tamara and Moze for not making the kids the joke. Too many shows punch down. Respect!
‘Director of Everybody Else’s Business’ got me good. Perfect title for our nosiest neighbour!
That ferry and barge worker story is so sweet. Little kindnesses get you through more than people realise.
Wayne Blair and Tim Ferguson?! Impressive team. Reckon this series will be a cracker.
Huge respect to Tamara and Moze for getting this made. Takes guts to share your ups and downs with the world.
So glad the humour isn’t aimed at the kids. The world needs more shows that poke fun at the grown-ups instead!
If the name is half as funny as the show, I’m in. Can’t wait to hear the story behind The Hairy Marys name.
Reading about the 'survival years' really hit me. That balance of tears and laughter is all too familiar.
Carers always deserve more credit. Glad these women are shining a light on the chaos behind closed doors.
Would love to see more on the small kind gestures like the ferry workers. That stuff means a lot, especially when things are tough.
Not sure why it took this long for someone to poke fun at the baffling systems carers deal with! About time.
‘Not the thriving years, the survival years’ is spot on. Relatable to every parent I know. Watching for sure!
Honestly, the system makes things so much harder than it needs to be. Good to see people calling it out but with a sense of humour.
Seven minute episodes, now that's realistic! Most days I’m lucky if I get three minutes to myself. Looking forward to watching.
Never heard of The Hairy Marys before but now I’m curious. Seven minute episodes sound perfect for the chaos!
I hope the episodes are as funny as the stories sound. You gotta laugh at the absurdity of parenthood or you'll cry!
Wish there were more TV shows like this about real life. Everything’s so polished these days, need more mess!
Shout out to all the ferry workers and kind folks who make the rough days a little better. Those little things stick with you.
Proud to see Coochiemudlo locals making something this funny! Hope it gets lots of views. We need more Aussie comedy like this.
Never heard of The Hairy Marys before but now I'm curious. Comedy helps, especially round here where everyone's in your business like that busybody character!
Hats off! It’s so true that caring work is invisible most of the time. Finally someone’s giving us a voice, with a giggle too.
The survival years! Boy, that hits close. Laughter really is the only way through. Big cheer for these women.
I wish this was around when my kids were little. Looks like it could help a few overwhelmed single mums feel less alone. Good on you ladies.
It’s awesome seeing local women getting recognised for their creativity. More power to you both!
Those small town busybodies are in every Aussie community. Love that they gave them a character!
It’s about time carers got some spotlight. Most people don’t get how tough and isolating it can be.
Those small-town busybodies are everywhere! Would watch just for that character, ha!
Wayne Blair and Tim Ferguson backing them? That's huge! This will be something worth checking out.
I remember those school calls at 9am, feeling the panic in your chest! Glad someone’s making light of it.
The school meeting with 13 people sounds WAY too familiar. Glad someone’s poking fun at it! Needed a chuckle after last week’s IEP...
Honestly, without my mum friends, I'd have lost it years ago! Love seeing friendship and laughter celebrated instead of pretending it's easy.
Having sat in a tiny chair at a school meeting myself, that scene got me. We parents need all the laughs we can get.
Loved the bit about rearranging the furniture in comedy! That’s how you get through some of those meetings, honestly.
So relatable. I’ve been that mum trying to juggle everything, except I didn’t make a comedy series, just bad coffee.
Thanks for not making the kids the punchline. Too many shows get that wrong. Humor about the grownup mess is spot on.
Always good to see local legends making something fresh. The comedy sounds honest, more of this, please!
Brilliant to see carers getting some recognition. The survival years are real! Can't wait to watch.
Such a brilliant idea! Turning all that chaos into comedy is genius. Cheers to Moze and Tamara for making something positive out of the mess.
The name cracks me up. I want to watch just to find out how they came up with it! Coochie mums unite!
The busybody character made me laugh, every town really does have at least one! Watching for sure.
I love this. It’s about time someone showed how funny and hard caring can be. Gave me a proper giggle!
Now that's a show I can get behind. My wife was a carer too and man, some days were just pure madness. Glad someone’s telling it like it is.
This actually made me laugh out loud. Real life is wild for carers. Respect to Moze and Tamara for turning it into comedy.
Love this! Moze and Tamara turning chaos into comedy is exactly what we need. Parenting is wild, but if you can't laugh, what can you do? Cheers to them!
Love this! As a carer myself, sometimes all you can do is laugh or you’d go mad. Might have to give this show a watch.