Riot Women, Sally Wainwright’s hotly awaited new drama, will be billed as a menopause show, and that’s fine – a show can be proud of such a shorthand in 2025, and besides, there’s a lot of menopause in it. Lorraine Ashbourne stars as Jess, a smart-mouthed pub landlady, leading her best life (house full of grown kids and grandkids, a boyfriend who does literally everything she says. “I have, in Jerry, written a weak man,” says Wainwright, contemplatively, as if it’s the first time that’s ever happened. “But he’s very likable”).
Nonetheless, Jess is overwhelmed – like all of us – by the state of the world, and decides to start a rock band for a refugee fundraiser. She needs bandmates, naturally, so enter Tamsin Greig as Holly, a retiring police officer, Joanna Scanlan as Beth, a ground-down teacher and Amelia Bullmore as Yvonne, a midwife with a stick up her arse. They’re joined by Rosalie Craig as Kitty, a very hard-living shoplifter, significantly younger than the others – she’s late 30s/early 40s in this role, the others are all mid-to-late 50s – but also menopausal. Her USP is incredible charisma and a stunning voice, belted out at pub karaoke with vivacious rage, when she isn’t drinking neat vodka straight from the bottle or vandalising cars.
