Travelling light with Geraldine Hickey

GERALDINE Hickey is literally travelling a little lighter these days.

After deciding to shed a lifelong burden, the comedian had a breast reduction and walked out of the hospital with a lot more than she bargained for.

In a big-hearted hour of honesty and revelations coming to Brunswick Heads in February, Hickey is getting more than a few things off her (now much smaller) chest.

The comedian said she had wanted to pursue a breast reduction since high school.

“From the moment I found out that they existed. They were big enough to be annoying, and they were never good, just always heavy, and like a lot of women in my family, either blessed or cursed, whichever way you want to look at it,” she said.

“I always thought I’d get around to doing it, but it was the cost, and working out when, and the processes that go with it.

“I had plans of getting it done in 2020, but the pandemic got in the way, and then I finally got around to it.”

An Australian small screen favourite, Geraldine recently appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, Spicks & Specks, The Cheap Seats and Have You Been Paying Attention?, along with her acclaimed stand-up specials streaming on Paramount+ and ABC iview.

The 46-year-old’s recovery from surgery was surprisingly swift, and she did a show 11 days after her surgery.

The impact on her daily life after the procedure was significant and was felt instantly from the moment she woke.

“The first thing that I noticed was the stress from my neck, and my shoulders were gone,” Hickey said.

“Imagine you carried around a backpack on your front for 30 years, and then you take that backpack off, that weight, it was amazing.

“A big one was just finding clothes that fit easier, and I get dressed so much quicker. I’m at the door, ready to go.

“It’s so good. I sleep on my stomach, and when I went on a long-haul flight, it was so much more comfortable.

“I don’t have to worry about wearing a bra anymore. I don’t have indentations in my shoulders. I could go on and on. It’s really great.”

Turning a serious operation into an hour of stand-up comedy is another matter, and Hickey is conscious that not everyone understands her experience.

“It’s my job to turn everything I’ve been doing for the past 12 months into stuff for my show,” she said.

“This one is easier compared to previous years, because I’ve got something to say and I think lots of people will find it relatable, and for those that don’t, I’ll make it so they do understand.

“I like to find the mundane things in life and work out how to make that interesting, or the most interesting and make that fun.”

A Weight Off My Chest runs at Brunswick Picture House on January 22 and 23.

For tickets, visit brunswickpicturehouse.com/geraldine-hickey-a-weight-off-my-chest-22-23-jan