Real Stories. Big Laughs. Zero Filters: Middle Raged Ignites the Stage!
A brand-new Australian show, Middle Raged – A Musical Meltdown, will sweat its way into Canberra and theatres across New South Wales – delivering real stories, big laughs and fearless celebration of menopause, midlife and finding your fire.
Be among the first to experience this bold new production in these exclusive early seasons – a special preview of bigger things to come. And don’t forget to bring your own fan, it’s gonna get hot in there!
Featuring a powerhouse cast, starring Queenie van de Zandt, Valerie Bader, Carita Farrer Spencer and Zuleika Khan, and an all-female live band, the production brings together iconic songs made famous by artists including Missy Higgins, Tim Minchin, Sia and P!nk, alongside original material by Gillian Cosgriff, Keir Nuttall and Kate Miller-Heidke.
Created by award-winning performer and writer Queenie van de Zandt and writer-producer Tiffany Noack, and directed by one of Australia’s hottest theatre directors, Priscilla Jackman (RBG: Of Many, One), Middle Raged blends comedy, music and real life stories into an electrifying night of laughter, recognition and sisterhood.
A bold new Australian show about menopause, midlife and finding your fire.
Queenie van de Zandt said the idea of the show came to her and Tiffany at the same time, while attending a mutual friend’s 50th birthday:
“All the middle-aged women started furiously sharing stories about menopause and feeling invisible, looking at each other as if to say, ‘What fresh hell is this? Why did no one warn us?’ I said, ‘We’re not middle aged…we’re middle RAGED.’ The room erupted, and we knew instantly it was more than a funny line – it was a show that needed to be made.”
Queenie and Tiffany then spent the next five years collecting real stories from women across Australia, transforming them into a theatre show that captures the humour, heartbreak and hard-won wisdom of midlife in a way rarely seen on stage.
At an age where many women feel increasingly invisible, co-creator Tiffany Noack says Middle Raged puts their voices and experiences centre stage:
“Women in midlife are hungry for something that is both entertaining and empowering. It feels long overdue for us to have a fresh, modern show that puts our stories front and centre.
We wanted to create a work that not only shines a spotlight on the riotous chaos of aging, raging and changing, but also celebrates what comes out of that – power, perspective, freedom and friendship.”
That spirit of connection extends beyond the stage. Recognising that many women at this time of life may find themselves attending events solo, Middle Raged has introduced the Sister Seat.
Whether friendships have shifted, schedules are impossible to align, or independence is calling, solo ticket buyers can choose to be seated alongside other fabulous women doing the same. Flying solo? Book a Sister Seat – skip the group chat, turn up, take your seat and join the sisterhood.
Bold, hilarious and deeply heartfelt, Middle Raged is a night in the theatre that celebrates the power and potential of a glorious midlife and beyond – a shared experience that invites women to honour their own voice with laughter, song and sisterhood.
Because when you’re over the hill… the view is incredible!
Middle Raged – A Musical Meltdown runs in Canberra from 8-11 July and at various locations around New South Wales.
Tickets are on pre-sale from today at the website.
Website: https://canberratheatrecentre.com.au/show/middle-raged-2026/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/canberratheatrecentre/
Image supplied.
Produced by Women with Pockets and Andrew Kay & Associates.
2026 Australian Tour Dates:
Penrith 3 -4 July, The Joan
Canberra 8 – 11 July, Canberra Theatre Centre
Wagga Wagga 14 – 15 July, Civic Theatre
Wyong 18 July – 19 July The Art House
