Spalding’s Zeph Churchill aims to break taboo surrounding the menopause with Is It Me Or Is It Hot In Here? at the South Holland Centre

A Spalding health practitioner will be performing her debut show about the menopause – and it promises to be funny and educational.

Described as ‘a nurse who is a show off’ by her own mother, Zeph Churchill (55), who is ‘screamingly menopausal’ herself brings Is It Me, Or Is It Hot In Here? to the South Holland Centre on Friday, October 13.

It will feature comedy songs, audience participation, games, goody bags and a chance to win prizes.

She will be retiring from Beechfield Medical Centre after having spent 33 years in healthcare, and has already dabbled in stand-up but now intends to kick-start her post-nursing career with this show.

Mrs Churchill, a musical director for Spalding Community Choir, said: “I am all about health promotion and with comedy it is breaking the taboos around menopause, such as in the workplace, hiding knives, you know, that sort of thing.

“It has such an important message and this show allows me to cast the net wider.

“Davina McCall is brilliant but women are clueless and don’t have the confidence about how they are feeling.”

The show starts at 7.30pm with two acts of 45 minutes and an interval, where audience members will be able to partake in a game.

In the show she will play the piano, guitar and perhaps the ukulele and she cites Victoria Wood as one of her comedy influences.

She said: “I did a little bit of stand up before lockdown but not on this scale.

“I speak to so many women who are menopausal and one woman a week has to give up work due to the menopause.

“It is not that they are ill-informed – they just don’t know.

“The show takes them on a journey – why we have periods, what happens when you don’t, HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) and what you can do yourself.”

As a Licensed Menopause Champion and a member of the British Menopause Society, she is well-placed to educate the audience as well as make them laugh.

She said: “I have performed in the past – I am a teacher, I teach.

“If I have something, I want to share it and I will finish my nursing career with the show.

“I love being on stage and work an audience.”

A portion of the ticket cost will be donated to Breast Cancer Now and when she retires Mrs Churchill will be studying a master’s degree in music to work as a music facilitator.

The show is primarily aimed at women but also suitable for their partners to gain a better understanding of the natural changes.

She said: “All I am doing is normalising the normal.

“Menopause is a normal life stage , the change will happen, and the show is a shared experience as a group.

“There is something in it for everyone – older women can get loads out of it, men can better understand their wives and young women can understand their mums.”

Visit https://www.southhollandcentre.co.uk/ for further information.