THEATRE NEWS

THE sub-title of Menopause the Musical 2 is Cruising The Menopause, which gives a fair indication of the content. Four friends decide upon a cruise to escape life, or in particular the men in their life.

There is the actress, the hippy-dippy woman, the business leader with memory issues, and the mousey, downtrodden lady who never goes anywhere without the ashes of her dead husband and can’t imagine embarking upon a new relationship.

The journey begins as they take to the cruise ship, acclimatise themselves to life on the ocean wave and, inevitably, sign up for the karaoke night. The audience is then treated to a range of classic songs, re-written in pastiche form to incorporate the mature stage-of-life these women find themselves in.

So far so good, but of course, what these women have most in common is that they are all going through the menopause.

Is there fun to be had from a time of hot sweats, cold tempers and a changing, transformative stage in life which brings with it the realisation things will never be quite the same again?

Are there laughs to be had from talk of HRT and sexual urges?

You bet. This is a musical theatre show which tells stories of life, love, loss and disappointment, featuring Crissy Rock, Rebecca Wheatly, Nikki French and Susie Fenwick. It’s a cast that bring to life mood swings, weight issues and, in some cases, short-term madness. But most of all, the message is that with friends you can survive anything.

Menopause The Musical 2, the Theatre Royal, Glasgow, May 28