There are still plenty of subjects that theatre rarely talks about openly, and perimenopause is certainly one of them. Perimenoparty tackles it head on with clowning, music, multimedia and plenty of humour, creating an hour that is as entertaining as it is thought provoking. Following an earlier run at the Hollywood Fringe, this latest work in progress continues to evolve, and after seeing it in its current form, we’re excited to see where it goes next.
The show opens with Serrano quietly stepping onto the stage dressed entirely in red, wearing a clown nose and simply looking at the audience. It is a wonderfully simple beginning that instantly wins everyone over. Her shy, vulnerable clown feels eager to be accepted, and within moments the audience is completely on her side. It is a clever choice because it creates an immediate connection, making us want her to succeed and encouraging us to embrace every awkward pause, mistake and unexpected turn that follows.
From there, Perimenoparty takes us through different phases of Serrano’s own experience with perimenopause, roughly covering the years from her early forties onwards. Rather than sticking to one style, the show constantly changes shape. There are songs, stand-up comedy, storytelling, multimedia sequences, audience interaction and moments of pure clowning. One particularly enjoyable sequence sees Serrano performing alongside a filmed version of herself, while another running joke involving the technician gradually develops into its own entertaining subplot. Each section explores a different emotional response to this stage of life, giving the show plenty of variety while still feeling connected by its central theme.
Alongside all the comedy sits a genuinely important message. Serrano asks why, in a world full of incredible technological advances, menopause and perimenopause still receive so little research and attention. It is a point that never feels preachy because it grows naturally out of her own experiences, but it gives the laughter real purpose. This performance was also being filmed for presentation to a European producer, and we sincerely hope they see the show’s potential. This is exactly the kind of work that deserves further investment and a wider audience. With the right support, we can easily imagine Perimenoparty continuing to grow into something really special.
There are still a few rough edges, which is completely understandable at this point. Some sections feel more polished than others, and there are moments that will no doubt become tighter as the show continues to develop. The wonderful thing is that none of this really matters while watching. Serrano builds such goodwill with the audience from the opening moments that we were happy to go along for the journey, cheering her on throughout and enjoying the sense that we were watching something still growing into its full potential.
What impressed us most was how much bigger the show already feels than the room it was performed in. It works beautifully in an intimate space, but it is easy to imagine it expanding into larger theatres with more audience interaction, bigger production values and even further multimedia development. There is so much potential here, and we are genuinely looking forward to seeing the full premiere in October.
Perimenoparty is already a funny, inventive and heartfelt piece of clown theatre with an important story at its core. As a work in progress, it still has room to grow, but the foundations are already incredibly strong. We left smiling, thinking and, most importantly, wanting to see more.
We are giving Perimenoparty 3 out of 5 D’s. (D D D)
More information at: https://perimenoparty.com/
Cast & Creative
Irene Serrano – Creator, Writer & Performer