Theatre / Middle Raged, Women With Pockets, The Playhouse, until July 11. Reviewed by SAMARA PURNELL

A post-covid 50th birthday party conversation about middle age and menopause was the catalyst for Queenie van de Zandt and Tiffany Noack to write a show about that and Middle Raged – A Musical Meltdown was born, directed by Priscilla Jackman.

A three-piece, female band (Jillian O-Dowd on drums, Sandy Klose on bass, Robyn Womersley, as the musical director, on keyboard) are clad in pink satin suits and positioned on stage, entertaining the audience as they settle in. The band maintained an upbeat pace, providing subtle backing vocals and an understated, enjoyable presence on stage.

Middle Raged unfolds in vignettes as four friends, portrayed by van de Zandt, Valerie Bader, Carita Farrer Spencer and Zuleika Khan, meet for lunch, a day spa and a session of painting and pinot.

Bader plays Judy, the older friend who is on the other side of menopause, and with a renewed sense of serenity suggests that the future may in fact be bright and offers suggestions to her girlfriends as to how to reframe menopausal concerns. Khan (Yasmin) is in perimenopause and the other friends are in the thick of menopause.

The show was created from interviews and input from hundreds of middle-aged women – sometimes intentionally funny, at others heartbreakingly sad.

This  show is not just about menopause, but the experience of women in that age range – of life management, of identity of self, within a family and in society, and of feeling invisible.

Middle Raged is laugh-out-loud funny. While it refreshingly abstains from man-bashing, it does take the audience on a brief history through menopause – written by men and “mansplained” and sees several instalments of male broadcasters commentating the cleverly-devised “Menopause Marathon”. The heart-wrenching account of becoming an empty-nester, whilst dealing with the declining health and death of parents, had the audience audibly in tears. And the description of mis-matched sex drives and the age-old problem of lack of communication within a marriage and an affair, elicited sympathy for all involved.

The show’s opening of well-known pop songs under the guise of a karaoke night with the girls gave way to lesser-known songs for the solos, where Khan’s rendition of Missy Higgins’ Second Act packed a punch and van de Zandt’s powerhouse vocals were on display in the emotional Edge of Something.

The musical and comedy highlight was a group number on the historical portrayal of women through the arts. In the framework of Chicago’s Cell Block Tango and the musicals Six and & Juliet, The Mona Lisa, Elizabeth Bennett, Lady Macbeth and Cio Cio San are given life after art, daided by low-key choreography by Sally Dashwood.

The animated Kaz Cooke inspired graphics and media production by Mark Bolotinare areused to wonderful effect, from train-of-thought bubbles popping mid-sentence, floating lists and bossy fairies.

Isabel Hudsen’s costume design had all the women in pantsuits. Given the list of potential bodily functions, satin seemed a surprising choice of fabric. Despite suffering many symptoms of menopause, the characters all appeared surprisingly well-groomed and rested, with not a sign of hair loss to be seen.

Middle Raged was very much a bonding experience. The actors address the audience directly for large parts of the show. Photos are permitted and people can submit their own photos for possible use during the show. Singing along to the pop songs is encouraged and throughout the show, there is continual audible and enthusiastic agreement to the scenarios discussed and the symptoms mentioned.

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