EastEnders star in cast of 'daringly honest' sell-out show at Theatre Royal Plymouth

A 'daringly honest' portrayal of the menopause is coming to Theatre Royal Plymouth as part of a UK tour. Diverse City’s life-affirming show Mid Life is co-produced by Theatre Royal and opens on February 27.

It is a daringly honest, passionately rebellious and comedic exposé inspired by what happens in menopausal midlife. New for 2025, the show is a celebratory disco with an invitation to ‘laugh, roar and dance’ with a professional DJ set from former EastEnders and Death in Paradise actress, Judith Jacob.

Mid Life was conceived by Claire Hodgson and co-created with Karen Spicer and Jacqui Beckford based on their life experiences and research by Dr Isabel de Salis. The show prioritises accessibility, including those people not always included in perimenopause and menopause discussions. All shows are relaxed, BSL interpreted and audio described.

Artistic Director Claire Hodgson made Mid Life as the show she wished she'd seen before perimenopause arrived. It is a deeply personal, heartfelt response to the anxiety and overwhelming feeling she experienced as her mind and body began to change and was inspired by tea break conversations on ageing and menopause.

Claire said: “The show mirrors our real lives. As a result of our conversations, I thought ‘what if WE were centre stage and could tell OUR stories?’ It's a time of putting ourselves first for a change. We see that menopause can affect everyone in some way - so this show is for everyone. A man in his seventies came to see it, explaining he is ‘married and the proud father of three daughters, so why wouldn't I come!’ My mum, who is 78, has also appeared in the show as herself. I loved that, and so did the audience. They knew they were seeing our real lives alongside their stories on the stage. Mid Life is what I wanted my 44-year-old self to see - showing who I might become. Nowadays, I forget stuff and people's names, but I am also at the height of my creativity and joy.”

The show starts with Claire, who wants to perform a one-woman stand-up show called Mid Life, in celebration of her 50th birthday. Claire is cool but maybe a bit frustrated. She works in human resources and is passionate about performing. She is always up for a laugh, does panto, and was the 1982 Disco Dancing Champion of the Southeast of England.

Claire is giddily excited. However, her performance soon becomes subject to interruption. Audio describer Karen, BSL interpreter Jacqui and the after-party DJ she’s booked, all have things they want to say. They want Claire to include their voices and experiences. And on top of all that - menopausal symptoms start to derail her performance.

Mid Life is written by Sheila Chapman and directed by Lucy Richardson. Music and dance play important roles in the show with Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu creating dance choreography and a disco after-party hosted by a professional DJ, Judith Jacob (Captain Philips, Death in Paradise, EastEnders). It is performed by Claire Hodgson, Karen Spicer and Jacqui Beckford with Ali Gordon as BSL Interpreter.

Claire continued: “Making Mid Life has changed me - I got my disco groove back and broke the Guinness World Record for the largest disco dance at Camp Bestival in 2022. There’s even more music in this revised version of Mid Life because music has been the soundtrack to our lives and there's never enough dancing - and we must dance!”

Mid Life is created and performed by a group of women who set out to reveal menopause through different lenses from their experience and a wide range of researched stories. The show includes the stories and experiences of women of all identities - women of colour, lesbians, disabled women, childfree women, women with children and grandmothers.

Engaging with the physical and mental effects of perimenopause and menopause, Mid Life is a universal story and moves from anxiety, grief, rage, and fear - to knowledge, acceptance, joy and celebration. Initiating honest, hilarious and difficult conversations between the cast and the audience, the show unpacks menopause and perimenopause to help those experiencing it, whether directly or indirectly through a relative, colleague or friend. Mid Life sheds the shame and loneliness and unites everyone through a glorious shared experience.

Radical anthropologist Dr Isabel de Salis followed 50 menopausal women for ten years and interviewed Bristol Bangladeshi women for their perspectives. She shared her findings and transcripts of interviews with the Mid Life team, who also listened to Deaf and disabled women often overlooked in many menopause conversations and publications.

Claire said “We met hundreds of women to research this show and shared laughter, frustration, joy and tears. I have made this show because women’s physical and mental health dips significantly in midlife, compounded by societal stigma, prejudice and ignorance. Menopause can be more challenging for D/deaf and disabled, learning disabled, LGBTQ+ and Global Majority women compounded by a lack of accessible information that reflects diverse experiences. We have made Mid Life so that everyone is seen, and everyone can understand more about this life-altering experience.”

To find out more and buy tickets, visit https://theatreroyal.com/whats-on/mid-life/

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