Another hilarious showstopper from Rachel Tunaley comes in the form of comedy musical Recovering Eldest Daughter, her latest creation and part of the 40th Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Still touring her last show recently, the compelling Motion Sickness, Tunaley proves with Recovering Eldest Daughter that she is not a one trick pony. By bringing a whole new set of catchy original songs, engaging audiovisual effects and a pace that won’t let you catch your breath, Tunaley packs in a whole lot of punch in her 55-minute show.
Our main self-insert character Rachel has always taken the title and responsibilities of being the eldest daughter to heart. She organises, steps up for gifts and party planning on behalf of her siblings, and oversees everything with an overachieving and “fine, I’ll do it myself” attitude.
Suddenly her title and share of responsibilities is called into question when her older sibling comes out as trans at the family dinner table, demoting Rachel from “Eldest Daughter” to “Just A Middle Child.” Does this mean her elder sister will now be shouldering everything that comes with the title, or must Rachel continue to lead the way? Answers are sought from the ‘Great Prophet Eldest Daughter’, who is accessed via the password of a frequent refrain of eldest daughters everywhere: “it’s never okay to ask for help!” Will she be free of the curse and will she heal her inner child?
Over the next hour Tunaley treats audiences with a journey of self-exploration through her clever original songs, delving into her past with ‘Drama Queen’, her OCD diagnosis with ‘Intrusive Thots’, and dating history with ‘Mummy’. She strikes a fantastic balance of humour, relatable moments and reflection over the course of the show. Her energy never lets up jumping between monologues, singing, choreography, and interacting with the pre-recorded voices of other characters seamlessly. There is a screen featured in the set which was made good use of with an engaging introduction, visual gags shown, and lyrics to encourage some voluntary audience sing-alongs.
Tunaley wraps up the show with two more songs, ‘Just Cause You’re Depressed Doesn’t Mean You Get To Be A C*nt’ served as a tongue-in-cheek reminder that you never know what else is happening in other lives and minds, but it is always worth it to offer patience, kindness, and effort. The finale ‘I Wanna Be My Inner Child’, leaves the audience with a heartwarming energy of remembering it doesn’t all have to be this serious and overthought, it’s okay to just have fun sometimes too.
The night I saw the show Tunaley’s own family, who feature heavily as characters and plot points of the show, were front row in the audience which lent itself to bonus occasional awkward turned funny moments, as she expertly poked light fun at both herself and her family.
I highly recommend catching Recovering Eldest Daughter while you can and supporting a sparkling rising Australian musical comedic talent. Recovering Eldest Daughter is personal, upbeat, reflective, and hilarious. While the laughter on the night I saw the show rarely died down, she did manage to sneak in a few more serious and contemplative moments in between. Tunaley shares a sense of humility and honesty with audiences that adds a layer of genuinity to her shows and has the potential to connect deeply to an even wider audience in the future.
Rachel Tunaley’s Recovering Eldest Daughter is currently playing as part of the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival at The Motely Spielhaus until April 19.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/recovering-eldest-daughter
https://www.instagram.com/racheltuna
Photography supplied.