Mid Life

A group of middle-aged women stand in line behind five suitcases. In the centre, a woman with curly grey hair and a rainbow satchel and her finger pointing at the sky in the centre.

Five women stand one behind another with their arms raised up. In the foreground, a woman with short bleached blonde hair and a golden sequin skirt look over her shoulder with a cheeky smile.

A woman sat in an electric scooter dances with a broad smile on her face. She is surrounded by a diverse group of people who smile and dance around her in a circle.

Two women on stage. On the right, a woman with dark skin of a yellow hue, wonder locks, a red flower in her hair and a Diverse City black t-shirt. On the left, a woman with short bleached blonde hair and a golden sequin skirt.

A woman with short bleached blonde hair kneels down to the ground, head titled towards the floor, she is struggling.

Close-up of a woman with short bleached blonde hair crawling on the stage's floor under cold purple light.

A woman with dark skin of a yellow hue, wonder locks, a red flower in her hair and a Diverse City black looks confused and in pain, her arms waving to her sides.

A young black woman wearing a pink one piece and a headwrap in the foreground. Another woman with short curly grey hair with arms raised to the ceiling behind her.

A young black woman wearing a pink one piece and a headwrap holds a box of soap.

Five women on stage. In the foreground, a woman with dark skin of a yellow hue, wonder locks, a red flower in her hair and a Diverse City black t-shirt taps her hand on her head, looking intensely confused. In the background, the other women look down to the floor, confused and in pain.

A woman with dark skin of a yellow hue, wonder locks, a red flower in her hair and a Diverse City black looks in front of her. On her left, a woman with short curly grey hair stands and speaks up.

A woman with short curly grey hair looks up in confusion with her arm raised hesitantly. Behind her, a woman with long brown hair and a yellow shirt signs in BSL.

Three women on stage. In the centre, a woman with short curly grey hair and a black and shite Diverse City t-shirt. On her left, a woman with short blonde bleached hair and a golden sequin skirt. On her right a woman with brown skin of a yellow hue and wonder locks. The one in the centre is having her hands helps by the two others.

Three middle aged women, struggling and touching their bodies in confusion, frustration and pain.

Three middle aged women in the foreground, struggling together, one crouching, one sitting down and one standing up with difficulty. In the background, a pile of suitcases and a broken disco ball.

A women with short blonde bleached hair and a golden sequin skirt hold a book open. Behind her, a young woman of colour with a pink playsuit and a colourful head wrap looks at her.

A woman with short blonde bleached hair and a golden sequin skirt stands by a suitcase.

A woman with short blonde bleached hair and a golden sequin skirt peers carefully into a suitcase.

A young woman of colour wearing a pink playsuit and a colourful head wrap, one knee to the floor, smiles and looks a a woman in the foreground.

A young black woman wearing a pink one piece and a headwrap holds up an object, staring at it. Behind her, a white woman with short bleached hair hold up an open empty suitcase, screaming.

A woman with short blonde bleached hair and a golden sequin skirt looks at a small object she holds with gloves.

A young woman of colour in the foreground moves her hands as if casting a spell on another woman of colour in the background who is struggling with an open suitcase.

A woman with brown skin of a yellow hue and wonder locks stands in an open suitcase centre stage, face raised up to the sky.

A woman with brown skin of a yellow hue and wonder locks stands on stage, one hand open in front of her, speaking with anger.

Five women on stage, three in the centre pulling suitcases behind them and looking back at the audience.

A woman with brown skin of a yellow hue and wonder locks holds her hands to her throat as if gasping for air. Another woman with short curly grey hair leans on her while she sits on the ground. A young woman of colour with a pink playsuit and a colourful head wrap looks at them from the side.

A woman with short bleached blonde hair reads a sheet of paper while two other women in the background pace around the space.

A young woman of colour sits on a pile of suitcases, folding some baby clothes on the floor. Behind her, a woman with brown skin of a yellow hue and wonder locks narrates, arms spread out.

A young woman of colour wearing a colourful head wrap and a pink playsuit crouches in front of a pile of suitcases. Behind her, a middle-aged woman with black skin of a yellow hue and dark wonderlocks is standing with an expression of anger on her face.

A group of middle-aged women stand in line behind five suitcases. In the centre, a woman with curly grey hair looks out toward the right with her mouth open.

Four women standing in line. On the left, a black woman with a Pride rainbow flag on her shoulder smiles, she is looking at the two in the middle who are hugging. One of them wears a black Diverse City t-shirt and has grey curly hair and the other wears a pink one piece and has black skin. The fourth woman on the right looks in front of her with a proud and determined smile.

A woman with curly grey hair and a rainbow satchel bag, holding up a rainbow coloured scarf with a great smile on her face. Behind her, four other female performers raise their hands up with PRIDE.

A group of middle-aged women stand in line behind five suitcases. In the centre, a woman with curly grey hair and a rainbow scarf in the centre.

A woman sat in an electric scooter raises her arm to the ceiling. She is surrounded by a diverse group of people who also raise their fists up with determination/

LISTEN TO AUDIO PROGRAMME WATCH BSL FLYER

Hold tight. There’s a change coming.

Claire was the south east of England disco dancing champion in 1982. Surely, she can’t be menopausal. Jacqui’s busy looking after the grandkids and keeping an eye on her ex-partner’s mum but there’s some stuff she needs to get off her chest. Karen lives alone by the sea. She’s a survivor.

These are midlife women – unpaid carers, up-all-nighters, emotional load bearers, shoulders to cry on, school-runners and piece-picker-uppers. Join them as they find a way through the loss, mess, despair, frustration, freedom, joy and possibility of the middle years.

Access is no optional add-on for Mid Life, but an extra layer of wit, pathos and enjoyment built in to the fabric of the play. All performances are both live BSL interpreted and live audio-described for the benefit and entertainment of all audiences.

“There is no greater power in the world than the zest of a postmenopausal woman” – Margaret Mead

Help Us Take Mid Life On Tour

This play has already been booked at the Bristol Old Vic and the Barbican for February 2020; but it should be seen and enjoyed all over the UK! There is still £10K to raise to take this show on a tour of the UK and that’s where you can help. Be a Mid Life Warrior – donate whatever you can, come and see the show, hear our stories and share yours.

Access

Diverse City is committed to making the performing arts accessible to all. Mid Life shows will be Audio Described and BSL interpreted. You can find more information about the venues’ accessibility on Bristol Old Vic‘s website for Ferment Fortnight dates and on High Tide festival’s website.

The Mid Life Creative Team

Lucy Richardson, Director
Sheila Chapman, Writer
Selma Nicholls, Producer
Isabel de Salis, Consultant
Jacqui Beckford, Actor
Claire Hodgson, Actor
Karen Spicer, Actor
Nandi Bhebhe, Actor
Vicki Igbokwe, Choreographer and Movement Director
Tina Omotosho, Assistant Choreographer and Movement Assistant
Jelmer Tuinistra, Designer/Technician
Selma Nicholls, Producer
Anna Tretheway, BSL Interpreter
Alexa Ledecky, Audio Describer

We are looking for Co-Producing partners

Mid Life is ready for Co-Producing partners to support the development and premiere of this new show, available from early 2020.

We are looking for venues to tour

The show will be for small scale studio spaces and non-theatre spaces with black out facilities from early 2020. Suitable for all audiences, recommended for 14+ years, targeted particularly to women, their families and friends, partners and colleagues.

Download the Mid Life Promoter’s Pack here.

Contact Claire Hodgson for more details about how to book: Claire@diversecity.org.uk

Hold tight. There’s a change coming.

Help Us Take Mid Life On Tour

Access

The Mid Life Creative Team

We are looking for Co-Producing partners

We are looking for venues to tour

Photography credits: © Chelsey Cliff, Alexa Ledecky

Support us

Help us to achieve diversity and equality in the arts.