Man'oushe
2026 · 49 min
A stand-up hour about DNA test results and impending motherhood.
Released .
A mail-order DNA kit was supposed to verify what a Staten Island family already took for granted, but in Janine Harouni’s hands, the results scramble decades of certainty. She approaches the fallout with calm, theatrical precision, turning identity confusion and imminent motherhood into an administrative comedy of errors.
Filmed at London’s Theatre Royal Stratford East in July 2024 and released in 2026, the hour grew out of an Edinburgh Fringe run that earned Harouni an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination for Best Show. The material was originally developed while she was heavily pregnant, framing her genealogical digging as an urgent countdown to parenthood.
Co-directed for the stage by Jon Brittain and the late Adam Brace, the set avoids loose crowd work in favor of a tightly plotted script. One standout sequence recounts her Staten Island father attempting to charm her therapist, while another focuses on her partner’s clumsy marriage proposal. Throughout, she picks at the quirks of cross-cultural bureaucracy, including the oddity of British official forms classifying her Lebanese background as Asian.
The narrative ultimately centers on her grandmother, an artist who gave up a career singing classical Arabic music in Lebanon to start over in New York.
Notable bits & set list
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Realizing she wanted to be a parent while taking magic mushrooms in Thailand
Comedic personal anecdote recounting the psychedelic trip that led her to parenthood.
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Accidentally discovering the engagement ring in Andrew Nolan's nightstand
Humorous retelling of how she forced her husband to propose after finding the ring.
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Discovering Lebanon is technically in Asia upon being nominated for an Asian Women of Achievement Award
Plays on her Staten Island upbringing and Sopranos-like demeanor contrasting with her Lebanese roots.
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Calling her husband the 'ingredient' while she is the creator of their child
Acerbic, light-hearted jokes contrasting the maternal role in pregnancy with the male contribution.
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A mail-order DNA test unearthing complicated family realities
Explores how a mail-order DNA kit complicated her understanding of her family history and Arab roots.
How it plays
- Tone
- Warm, cathartic, emotionally candid, and comedic despite heavy themes of grief and loss.
- On stage
- Poised, smooth, and warm; projects friendliness and ease on stage while balancing relatable wit with acerbic punchlines.
- Pace
- Effortlessly paced storytelling with natural comic rhythm, drifting into wistful or serious narrative moments before puncturing them with sharp punchlines.
- About
- pregnancy and parenthood, miscarriage and infant loss, Arab-American heritage, family DNA tests, marriage and relationship dynamics, the sudden passing of director Adam Brace
What the critics said
Universally praised by critics across major publications, heralded as a perfectly wrought, polished hour of narrative stand-up balancing devastating tragedy with sharp, uplifting comedy.
In the room: Warm and deeply engaged, with audiences experiencing catharsis, tears, and continuous laughter.
Backstory
Centered around Harouni's first pregnancy and miscarriage, released to coincide with Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. It also addresses the sudden death of her collaborator and mentor Adam Brace during the show's development, as well as her Arab ancestry, family history, and an unexpected DNA test.
Details
- Released
- Taped
- 2024, Theatre Royal Stratford East, London
- Runtime
- 49 min
- Director
- Adam Brace, Andrew Nolan, Jon Brittain
- Honors
- Nominated, Best Show, Edinburgh Comedy Awards (2023)
- Topics
- Featured in
- Tesla Leases, Naked Penguins, and Stolen Setlists
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