It was in April then again in November 2007 I first saw ‘Hot Flush’ the musical, at that time the cast consisted of Roula Lenska, Marti Webb, Sheila Ferguson and Rachel Izen with token male Sam Kane. The 2010 tour cast is Lesley Joseph, Hilary O’Neil, Anne Smith and Ruth Keeling with Matt Slack.

Four close friends of a certain age are going through that female curse they call the menopause! As part of the coping mechanism they meet in a local bar on Tuesday evenings, fondly calling themselves ‘The Hot Flush Club!’ woe betide any man interfering in their girls plans.

Lesley Joseph as Myra, a successful divorce barrister, mother of a hunky 18 year old hormonally charged son, has become a man hater thanks to her husbands desertion and the symptoms of the change. With shades of Dorien Green from TV’s Birds of a Feather, Lesley has everyone rolling about laughing every time she comes on stage.

Hilary O’Neil as Sylvia, this brusque American refuses to let her menopause make her grow old gracefully. The HRT treatment has her taking a much younger lover does her husband know? What will Myra say when she finds out? We loved some of her outrageous clothes and the show stopping number ‘Rabbit’.

Anne Smith is Helen, a Scottish widow whose teenage daughter seems to be enjoying the males at college a little too much. Helen’s doubts about herself leads to a keep fit fanaticism an eventually to speed dating! Her reaction to getting of her exercise bike may have given one or two ideas to some of the more inebriated ladies in the audience.

Ruth Keeling as Jessica is still relatively happily married, even if she rarely sees her husband and her son is a little to camp for her liking. She can’t seem to remember why all her clothes are too small, whether she is coming or going or even where her mobile phone is! Stalwart of the local church could the vicar be just a little too friendly? Some of Jessica’s scenes were all too familiar to many judging by the reactions she was getting.

As for the glorious Matt Slack! He may be the only male in the cast but he plays all the husbands, sons, lovers and almost every other male the ladies come in contact with. His CHEEKY portrayal of some of these characters got huge applause and cheers from the almost totally female audience. His solo musical number in the second half demonstrated his gorgeous voice and the male perspective.

Anne Smith

Matt Slack

Ruth Keeling

The stage is set with four varying levels signifying the houses of the four women, the front of the stage is utilised as various other places. The musical numbers are fun with one or two having choruses we can join in. It is Julie Benson’s writing that brings this show home to so many thousands of females all over the UK. Ninety percent of women over the age of 20 can identify with some of the behaviour she describes, whereas us older women can identify with 90% of the content. As for those few men who dared to see the show perhaps some of those female mysteries become a little more understandable.

Many of the audience members kept saying they had not laughed as much in ages. I still found myself thinking My God that could be me up there. Geoff and some of the few males in the audience also found it very funny but he kept saying bits of it were me!

For more details for the remains of the tour go to www.hotflushthemusical.com the last published date at the moment is 29^th May 2010. For other show at Dunfermline’s Alhambra Theatre go to www.alhambradunfermline.com

Hot Flush!  -  April 2007

Hot Flush!  -  November 2007