From Happy Valley to Riot Women: Why Writer Sally Wainwright Wants to Shout About Menopause

When Sally Wainwright first began sketching the story that became Riot Women, she was quietly wrestling with something many women face but seldom see dramatised on-screen: menopause. As she told Vogue, she’d naively assumed it would be a gentle transition. “I thought it was just when your periods stopped one day (good, so what?)” she admitted. But then the hot flushes began, sleep vanished, tears appeared for no reason, and she felt like “a little (big) old lady.” Woman & Home+3British Vogue+3Big Issue+3

The Missing Story

Wainwright has long been celebrated for writing strong, complicated women (see: Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax). But she realised that “mid-life women” — those juggling ageing parents, grown children, demanding jobs, relationship upheavals and the menopause — rarely get to be the heroes of their own story. Big Issue+1

In Riot Women, she set out to change that. The plot: five women form a punk band — not because they still believe in teen dreams, but because they’re tired of being invisible, unheard and held back by mid-life expectations. Financial Times+2Woman & Home+2

Menopause as Rebellion

Instead of depicting menopause only as endless hot-flush jokes, Wainwright frames it as rage, as punk, as rebellion. “Menopause is about anger,” she said. “So it lends itself to punk, to rebellion, to sticking two fingers up.” Big Issue+1

She didn’t want the story to feel like a downer. She wanted it to be loud, real, messy and joyful — though still honest. Her own journey helped. After finally going on HRT and feeling “like I was 36 again instead of 86,” she knew this needed to be told. British Vogue+2Big Issue+2

Why This Matters Now

• Visibility: Women in mid-life are often cast aside in stories, or reduced to mothers, background characters, “old women.” Wainwright says: “There aren’t any [series] where the lead actors, writer and director are all women over 40.” Big Issue+1

• Silence & Misunderstanding: Menopause is still treated as a whispered subject. Hot flushes get the headlines, but the mental health fallout, the identity loss, the brain-fog and the emotional fallout rarely do. Wainwright wanted to change that. drlouisenewson.co.uk+1

• Cultural Shift: As more women speak openly about the menopause, the time is right for drama that doesn’t shy away. Wainwright’s show feels like a signpost: yes, this is a life stage, and yes — it deserves loud, messy, creative representation. Financial Times

What She’s Saying Through Her Work

In Riot Women, the characters aren’t defined by menopause — they’re defined in spite of it. They’re still ambitious. They still make mistakes. They still want connection, accomplishment, purpose. The band becomes their outlet to kick against the idea that mid-life means fading away. Woman & Home

Wainwright’s real-life experience informs it all: caring for a mother with dementia, navigating a failing marriage after decades, dealing with a body betrayed by hormones. That personal truth gives the story much of its power. HELLO!+1

Why You Should Read This Wrong-Turning Story

Because it’s not just a drama about “older women.” It’s about anyone who’s been told their time is up — and made time for themselves anyway. It’s uplifting, raw, funny, furious and hopeful.
If you’ve ever felt invisible, undervalued or stuck while life kept moving — this is your anthem.