Southside’s leading lady: Ama Mosese’s bravest defining act yet

In the quick-witted world of South Auckland comedy, Ama Mosese has always been a “scene stealer”.

Whether she’s leading tours with Glorious NZ or commanding the mic with the Southside Queens comedy collective, her career is built on finding light in every corner of life.

But over the last year, Mosese was facing a private, gruelling battle with breast cancer.

Her journey began in the winter of 2023 with a heavy sense of déjà vu. Having lost her mother to the same disease in 2017, the fear was immediate when her partner discovered a lump.

“That was hard to wrap my head around at the time,” Mosese tells Pacific Days. “We knew that we couldn’t take any risks, we had to get it checked.”

Despite a whirlwind of operations and treatments, Mosese refused to let the diagnosis dim her spark.

Breaking the silence

For many Pasifika families, health battles are often kept private, shrouded in a mix of stoicism and cultural tapu (taboo).

Mosese decided to break that silence, sharing her story with Woman’s Day to serve as a vital wake-up call for early detection.

“I hear it all the time, ‘I haven't been bothered to make an appointment or follow up with checks’. And ‘I don't want doctors touching me in certain places’, things, those kinds of attitudes,” Mosese explains.

Watch Ama Mosese's full interview below.

“But if you catch something early enough, you're going to be okay. I'm blessed because we caught it so early, before it could spread. I'm going to be okay.”

The ‘naughty patient’

Mosese’s resilience is matched by what she calls her “naughty patient” energy. When doctors suggested she shouldn’t travel during chemotherapy, she found a loophole.

“They said they don't recommend it, but they didn't say don't go,” she laughs. “So I went to Bali, I went to Vietnam, I went to America. I just kept living my life.

“It teaches you that time is precious…I didn’t put anything on hold and I learned to say, ‘yes’.”

That defiance helped her navigate the physical changes too.

When she felt frustrated by medication-induced weight gain, her doctor reminded her that in the world of cancer, gaining weight is a sign of life.

A royal sisterhood

The Southside Queens of Comedy, born from a community workshop to get more Pasifika women into the industry, became Mosese’s emotional lifeline.

“I don't think the girls that I do comedy with have realised how much they've helped me through such a tough time. The saying, ‘if we don't laugh, we'll cry’, it's kind of true,” she says.

“So we've used comedy as a sisterhood. The girls, some of them have been through loss and grief throughout the time we've been together. We’ve used that to stick together, have a laugh.”

The grit she brings to the stage is something she traces back to her “savage” grandmother, who taught her the art of the “unfiltered comeback”.

The encore

This May, Mosese is taking her story to the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. She says the cancer chat is now a part of her set.

“I’m very open, a lot of people that know me…we joke about it. But I have to talk about it in a light way because I want people to come to my show and be comfortable knowing that they can laugh along with me.”

Beyond the punchlines, her message is a plea for her community.

“Do not ignore check-ups, symptoms, and signs. The world is huge and it’s out there for you to go and experience it. Live everyday like you may not get another one.”

Mosese and the Southside Queens will perform at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival from 7-9 May at Poppy’s Comedy in Manurewa. Tickets are available here.