The Thick Of It star Joanna Scanlan has said we are “frightened of the menopause” and that women are “saturated by shame”.
The Bafta award-winning actress, 63, best known for playing civil servant Terri Coverley in the hit BBC series and for starring in the drama After Love, now appears in Sally Wainwright’s new series, Riot Women.
The six-part series follows a group of five women who, while coping with work, grown-up children, dependent parents, husbands and the menopause, decide to form a punk-rock band and compete in a local talent contest.
Speaking about the series on BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Scanlan said: “I think we’re frightened of women’s rage. We’re frightened.
“We’re frightened of the menopause. Women are saturated by shame and a sense of inadequacy.
“I know when I was young and I was looking at that point when you know my menstrual cycle was going to dry up, I thought that was deeply shameful and deeply frightening. I didn’t want it.
“I was scared to death and okay, we’ve had wonderful Davina (McCall) and Mariella (Frostrup) who’ve gone out there and made it a little bit glamorous. But it’s much more than that. There’s so much goodness, potentially, in that moment in life.”
Riot Women also stars Friday Night Dinner actress Tamsin Greig, musical theatre actress Rosalie Craig, Sherwood’s Lorraine Ashbourne and Scott & Bailey actress Amelia Bullmore.
Speaking about making TV that grabs people’s attention, writer Wainwright revealed she always tries to make something that “surprises” people.
She said: “The other day, somebody who works in telly told me that they now consciously make drama for somebody who is looking at the phone, on the laptop and the telly is on over there somewhere. And that really upset me when I heard that.
“Screen time is so precious and valuable. I feel so privileged to be somebody who can have screen time.
“You’ve asked me what my secret is, always do something that surprises people. Always try and do something that surprises people.”
Riot Women can be watched on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
