From Happy Valley to Riot Women: Why writer Sally Wainwright wants to shout about menopause
From Happy Valley to Riot Women: Why writer Sally Wainwright wants to shout about menopause
Sally Wainwright has said she aimed to create a "uplifting" portrayal of midlife, including menopause, through the story of a female rock band in her new TV series Riot Women.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour on Thursday, the Happy Valley writer said the show, which starts on Sunday, draws from her own midlife experiences.
"It's very personal for me this," she said. "It's a lot about what I was going through at what [actress] Tamsin (Greig) very eloquently called 'the middle squeeze'."
She added: "It's just about midlife - menopause is just an aspect of that - and I wanted to find a way of writing about this part of your life in a way that was uplifting and engaging and interesting."
She continued: "It's about women who find something very creative and very engaging to do together and how it changes their lives."
Riot Women tells the tale of five menopausal women who form a punk rock band to take part in a local talent contest.
It features stage and screen star Rosalie Craig as the chaotic Kitty Eckerson, alongside an ensemble cast of bandmates including Friday Night Dinner star Grieg, Gentleman Jack's Amelia Bullmore, Lorraine Ashbourne from Alma's Not Normal and The Thick of It comic actress Joanna Scanlan.
Together the women foster a sense of solidarity and address their experiences candidly.
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