Monday, November 27, 2006

The menopause monologues

Farewell The Vagina Monologues and Sex and the City. Armed with a cast of hormonal baby boomers, one-liners about memory loss and incontinence, and innuendo-laden versions of pop classics, Menopause: The Musical is heading for the London stage.

Billed as "a hilarious celebration of women and The Change", the all-singing, all-dancing comedy opens in the lingerie section of a department store, where four protagonists are fighting over a black lace bra. Over 90 minutes the women become friends after experiencing a collective catharsis in which they gossip about everything from chocolate binges to hormone replacement therapy.

The show's 26 feel-good numbers are likely to give the British much to relate to. Among them is a medley of Bee Gees hits "Night Fever" and "Staying Alive" - sung as "Night Sweating" and "Staying Awake".

First performed in March 2001 in a tiny theatre in Orlando, Menopause: The Musical has become an institution in the US, where it has inspired a grass-roots movement, described as a "sisterhood" by its creator, Jeanie Linders.

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