“Heart, humour and integrity” – Diamond at The Q celebrates the beauty of aging women
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Experiencing hot flushes, foggy brain, achy muscles and suddenly finding yourself awake in the middle of the night? You’re not alone. And the Q’s upcoming play Diamond may be the powerful piece that leaves you feeling understood.
Canberra-based performer Liz Lea has turned her personal experience with menopause into Diamond.
Inspired by the enduring strength and many facets of a diamond, the show will run from Thursday 6 until Saturday 8 August and reflect on how women are shaped by experience, pressure and the will to keep shining.
“I’m 56 now and I had that sense of invisibility as I got older that I know some women get … then came menopause and I went ‘I really want to share some of these stories,’” Liz says.
When developing the show, Liz took a “deep dive” into menopause research and the science behind it all.
“Estrogen covers the human body and when we go through menopause we lose it and end up with about one per cent of what we had when we were 25,” she explains.
“We need estrogen for brain function; our bones become weak, our arteries thicken, we lose serotonin, we lose the dopamine, so we get sad, low and confused.”
“I went down a rabbit hole, gleaning information to bring into the show – so in the show there’s this line, ‘There is more research into golf swings than there is into menopause.’”
With a depth of research under her belt – as well as armed with the stories from the women around her – Liz started to create the script and wove in what she had learnt.
“I’ve been working with a lot of people to refine the script, bring in those facts, do the gut punch statements and then shape a work that has heart, humour and integrity.”
Diamond is not your ordinary play. It’s full of dance, movement, showgirls, and music – all things that have played a role in Liz’s life.
Liz specialises in classical Indian and contemporary dance, having trained in India, the United Kingdom and Singapore, as well as spending time in Japan and Sydney as a showgirl.
“I’m working with Kim Degenhart from Bom Funk because we worked for the same company as dancers and she’s based here in Canberra now and has a group of showgirls,” she says.
“Some of those showgirls are in the show with me and then I have some of my nearest and dearest friends – all women of my age – performing, as well as some of Canberra Theatre’s Gold dancers too.”
Liz used the element of dance to help make the show as accessible as possible for everyone in the audience to enjoy – regardless of if they’ve experienced menopause themselves.
“There’s big showgirl numbers, there’s a lot of feathers, there’s a lot of big costumes so the subject matter is there, but that’s where we bring it back to my story rather than it being menopause the musical.”
“Hopefully there will be a range of women my age who will say ‘Let’s just go and see this and have a laugh,’ but then also husbands learning ‘What is going on with my partner’, and even kids going ‘Right mum’s going through menopause – what can we do?’”
As part of the world premiere season presented by Q the Locals, an Auslan Interpretation and Audio Description will be offered for several shows.
“I’ll be working with the Auslan interpreter so that she knows the show really well and knows when to stand and be really present,” Liz says.
“Then the Audio Description will be a pre-recorded description which I will do as I’ve done work as an Audio Describer.”
Both Saturday shows will also see the inclusive dance company, Chamaelon Collective (named after a constellation, not the lizard!), open the show.
At its heart, Diamond invites the audience to celebrate the resilience and beauty of aging women.
“We’re different humans after menopause and we have to manage and adjust,” Liz says.
“So, in those respects, we’ve created a show where on the surface it’s loud, funny, engaging, and beautiful, but has information in there too.”
“It’s a comedy with a touch of sadness – that’s the human side with lots of different people’s stories and experiences woven in.”
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Diamond by Liz Lea presented by Q the Locals
When: Thursday 6 August – Saturday 8 August
Where: The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre
Tickets + more information: theq.net.au/whats-on/diamond
Images: O&J Wikner Photography
