Review by Katrina Couzens of What the Perimenopause! presented by Delilah Rose and the All Stars
What an incredible finale to my Anywhere experience! What the Perimenopause! is full of energy, heart, glamour, and raw emotion. I laughed hard, I clapped hard, and I left with a far richer understanding of women’s experience of perimenopause than all the articles I’ve scoured in the Conversation have ever given me.
Delilah and the All Stars have reconstructed the emotional journey of perimenopause, from confusion to rage to self-assurance, through music and sketch comedy. The sketches had me howling with laughter, with wall-to-wall wordplay and raw, real observational humour heightened to the limit by absurdity and caricature. Baffled husbands foraging for their own dinners, cringey yoga sessions, advice from your old aunt…
The music was a mix of Delilah’s own songwriting and classics from a range of genres from pop rock to punk to new age folk. Delilah’s songs hit on experiences I’ve rarely heard covered in music, such as the utter exhaustion of motherhood (“Mama don’t wanna put on her lipstick today” is an earworm that’s not going to leave my brain anytime soon). Delilah is truly magnetic, and it’s hard to take your eyes off her when she’s on stage, but the All Stars are not to be dismissed. I have again been schooled on my guitar snobbery by the All Stars’ incredible lead guitarist, and their lead vocalist matched Delilah in energy and power.
I am running out of time to finish off this review and I haven’t even mentioned the glamorous costumes, the excellent vibe of Mirrorball Ministries, and many other details that made What the Perimenopause! such an awesome show. Truly I was blown away and have no trouble saying this was the highlight of my festival spree. Congrats, ladies!
