Global premiere touring Penrith, Canberra, Wagga Wagga and Wyong – July 2026
Bring your own fan, it’s gonna get hot in here!
A brand-new Australian show, Middle Raged – A Musical Meltdown, premieres this July in Canberra and theatres across New South Wales, delivering a fresh, funny and fearless celebration of what really happens when women hit midlife. Be among the first to catch these exclusive early seasons – a special preview of bigger things to come.
Friday 3 July – Saturday 4 July The Joan, Penrith
Wednesday 8 July – Saturday 11 July Canberra Theatre Centre
Tuesday 14 July – Wednesday 15 July Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
Saturday 18 July – Sunday 19 July The Art House, Wyong
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.
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.
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!
Tour dates of the global premiere of Middle Raged – A Musical Meltdown:
Friday 3 July – Saturday 4 July – The Joan, Penrith
Wednesday 8 July – Saturday 11 July – Canberra Theatre Centre
Tuesday 14 July – Wednesday 15 July – Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
Saturday 18 July – Sunday 19 July – The Art House, Wyong
All shows on sale now. Book tickets via www.middleraged.com.au
Thank you to our venue partners:
The Joan, Penrith | Canberra Theatre Centre | Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
Produced by Women with Pockets and Andrew Kay & Associates
