Menopause The Musical 2 – Cruising Through Menopause
Format: Musical
Genre: Comedy
Writer: Jeanie C Lenders
Cast: Cheryl Fergison, Nicole Barber-Lane, Rebecca Wheatley & Nicki French
Review Date: February 11 2020
Performance: February 11 2020, 7.30pm
Location: Floral Pavilion, New Brighton
Duration: 150 Minutes incl. an interval
Age Rating: 16+
Following on from the highly successful Menopause The Musical, it’s time for the gang to get back together for Menopause The Musical 2 – Cruising Through Menopause, which landed at New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion last night.
Just like in the first show, this production explores the realities of the menopause, but with a comical edge to it. Five years on from we last saw Cheryl Fergison, Nicole Barber-Lane, Rebecca Wheatley and Nicki French commanding the stage and commanding the lives of their characters, they are back here and are not afraid to hold back when it comes to emphasising how the likes of hot flushes, mood swings and memory loss can impact their day-to-day existence, with plenty of laughter, singing and dancing thrown in for good measure.
All four performers once again captured the audience’s attention from beginning to end, showcasing their acting talents, their knack for comedy (this was particularly noteworthy, given the nature of the show), and also their vocal ranges; after all, this is a musical at heart, and there are plenty of songs which mix humour with emotion that had the Floral Pavilion audience howling at some stages and wildly applauding at other moments. For instance, the tunes were largely well-known, but had alternate lyrics that were very clever, witty and amusing, such as “I Don’t Think I Could With The Lights On” and “I Don’t Look Good Naked Anymore”.
For this follow-up show (which was sponsored by Medicare, as the show really does have a deep meaning to it), all four menopausal ladies are on a cruise ship, known as the Whisper Of Dreams. One of the ladies even had her husband’s ashes with her in an urn, and given the choppy weather caused by Storm Ciara right now, she was certainly taking a chance! All four had their own individual stories, which varied in terms of depth and comedy value. One of the stories concerned the idea of a career mother who realises that she missed a lot of her son growing up such as his nativity plays and sports days, but noted that he had gotten revenge by marrying a slim, talented witch! You can imagine, then, some of the situations which come up as the show goes on, but ultimately it is about looking at the positive side of life with menopause, as well as the importance of the four friendships here.
The audience consisted mainly of females, with just the odd male on hand. But the show had plenty to laugh about, so gender and age would not be a deterrent, even if we should emphasise that the show is definitely for adults only! It also helped that we watched this performance at the Floral Pavilion, a beautiful modern theatre with traditional seating and very helpful staff, which only served to enhance one’s enjoyment of the evening as a whole.
Summing this up, Menopause The Musical 2 – Cruising Through Menopause is absolutely fabulous, and I would strongly recommend you go to see it.
Notes
Target Audience: Adults Aged 18+
Content: Strong Sexual Themes
Recommendation?: Yes
Overall Rating: 8.5/10 – Excellent
Further Information
For more information about Menopause The Musical 2 – Cruising Through Menopause, click here.
