One of the largest art festivals in England, Brighton Fringe, is well underway and I attended my first event this Monday. The event was Meet Parveen, a heartfelt and witty production by Falling Stars Theatre, which explored the raw and unfiltered world of menopause.
It took place in the intimate, pop-up studio theatre, the Rotunda Theatre in Regency Square, Brighton. Upon entrance, there was a huge puddle spreading in front of the theatre; the rain was pouring, my jeans were soaked, and it was incredibly windy. But once I huddled inside, it was warm, dry and, I could sense something great was about to happen.
An Intimate Setting for a Powerful Story
The play follows a week in the life of Parveen, a 45/46-year-old single mother, navigating the challenges of menopause while working a full-time job. These difficulties include experiencing headaches at work, brain fog, night sweats and navigating a high sex drive, just to name a few.
Parveen continually expresses throughout the play how this significant change made her question her identity and feel extremely confused. The actors use props, accessories, lighting, and music to convey the story and play multiple characters throughout.
Power of Performance: Meet Parveen in Brighton
A standout moment was when Parveen went to the doctor to discuss her menopause symptoms and how these impacted her life. In the play, she got an appointment on the same day but unfortunately in real life, this took three weeks.
Under a radiant spotlight, the three actors took turns to read out menopause symptoms they experience into a microphone. Some of the symptoms included constipation, feeling invisible and constant anger.
The actors read about each symptom for an upsetting amount of time and showed just how disruptive menopause can be in a woman’s life. It was a compelling moment that contrasted with the play’s humorous and light-hearted tone.
Another memorable instance occurred when Parveen’s colleague attempted to devise a menopause policy for the workplace. He attempted to educate himself on menopause symptoms and this led him to ask his wife if she experienced them. In which she responded that she had dealt with perimenopause symptoms for several years.
Although the moment was uncomfortable, she thanked her husband for asking and paying attention to her. This scene encapsulated one of the main purposes of the play, which is to inform audiences about how difficult and confusing this stage of life can be for women and how best to support them, especially their partners, who may not go through this transition.
More Than Entertainment: A Play with a Message
After the performance ended, the actors gave out leaflets with information on them relating to menopause symptoms. Also, there was a second leaflet intended for the partners of those going through this life change, containing information on how to best support them.
Overall, the play was entertaining, educational, and thoroughly enjoyable. It was not just a humorous and amusing theatre piece; it conveyed an incredibly important message which is too often overlooked by society. It was definitely worth it and given the opportunity to watch it again, without a doubt I would!
