A hit theatre show celebrating the power, humour and freedom of mid-life is heading to Swindon this month as the acclaimed Queenagers tour arrives at the Arts Centre.
Created by feminist theatre company Scary Little Girls, the production promises an evening of comedy, music and heartfelt storytelling as it shines a light on the realities of menopause while celebrating the strength and resilience of older women.
The show comes to the Swindon Arts Centre on Thursday, July 17, as part of its biggest tour to date, taking in venues across the South West and beyond.
Hosted by the flamboyant Bunny Morethan – the alter ego of Scary Little Girls’ artistic director Rebecca Mordan – the production blends cabaret with personal monologues inspired by Jennifer Kennedy’s award-winning Facebook blog Is It Just Me and her Edinburgh Fringe show Menopausal Mayhem.
Rather than treating menopause as a taboo subject, Queenagers tackles it head-on with humour, honesty and plenty of sequins, exploring everything from its frustrations to the sense of freedom many women discover afterwards.
Rebecca Mordan said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be taking Queenagers on the road again. This show has been so loved on every tour we’ve done – our audiences have laughed, cried and told us it’s changed how they feel about this stage of their lives, and that never gets old.
“But this time feels genuinely historic for us – for the first time ever, we’re taking Queenagers not just out of Cornwall, but all the way across the South West and into the South East.
“We’ve made sure to keep a Cornish date in the tour because our Cornish audiences hold a very special place in our hearts – they found the show first, and the way they’ve responded to it has been something truly magical. We can’t wait to bring that same joy, that same recognition, that same feeling of ‘finally, someone is saying this out loud’ to audiences right across the south of England.”
Joining Mordan and Kennedy is a cast featuring Johanne Murdock, whose television credits include His Dark Materials, Emmerdale and Such Brave Girls, alongside stage performer Rosie Ede and Chloë Clarke, co-founder of disabled-led company Elbow Room Theatre.
Guest performers include Jenny Beare, Flo Crowe, Deborah Tracey and Amantha Edmead, while the production is directed by Shazz Andrew and features design by Clare Summerson.
Founded more than 25 years ago, Scary Little Girls has built a reputation for creating bold productions that amplify voices and stories often overlooked. The company works with around 100 artists each year and tours extensively across the UK.
With its blend of laughter, music and heartfelt reflection, Queenagers promises an uplifting evening that challenges stereotypes and reminds audiences that menopause is not an ending, but the beginning of a new chapter.
Tickets for the Swindon performance are available through the Arts Centre and the production’s official website.
