Women-led shows this Women’s History Month and beyond
Published March 5, 2026
Game of Crones (Raphael Lambrakis-Haddad), JV2 (Bill Knight), Nine Sixteenths (Christa Holka), Anu Vaidyanathan: Allegory
To honour Women's History Month, and to celebrate International Women's Day (Sun 08 Mar), we chatted to some of the artists behind some of the women-led shows coming up in our Performance Programme.
On Sat 14 Mar, Devon United Women will once again host their International Women's Festival at Exeter Phoenix, filling our building with free to attend activities, performances, workshops and stalls under the theme 'Women Raising Voices for Change'.
In the evening Anu Vaidyanathan will present a work-in-progress performance of Allegory, her stand-up comedy show (praised by Phoebe Waller-Bridge as “super and funny”) about the stories we tell ourselves while locating identity among colleagues, friends, family—and a pet octopus with digestive issues. Using sharp observation and darkly playful humour, Anu moves through the contradictions of working womanhood—our supposed freedoms, the myths we inherit about choice and success, and the emotional labour required to hold everything together while pretending it’s effortless.
Anu tells us: "As a woman and an immigrant parent, you’re constantly translating — language, culture, expectation. You’re translating for your children and, in many ways, for yourself. My show explores that in-between space: the tug between inheritance and reinvention. International Women’s Day feels like a moment to acknowledge not just resilience, but the complexity of that negotiation — the humour, the fatigue, the fierce tenderness of building a life across borders."
On Sat 21 Mar, international theatre collective fish in a dress bring us their critically-acclaimed show (★★★★ The Guardian & The Stage) The City for Incurable Women: a tale of medical misogyny that tells the story of patients performing ‘hysteria’ onstage in 19th century Paris.
The City for Incurable Women
Director Christina Deinsberger comments, "This is not a new story. It actually is a very old story. We can trace the idea of hysteria back to the ancient Greeks. And a lot has changed since then. Specifically with the growth of the feminist movement we feel a battle, a deconstruction of misogynistic stereotypes. Yet right now we feel a strong conservative pushback. Misogynistic narratives gain strength and the credibility, reliability, competence of female identifying people is under attack. So we need to look back, we need to understand what happened to understand where we are and how to move ahead."
Company member Helena McBurney says: "Medical misogyny is an abuse of power that continues to permeate women*’s minds, bodies, and lives. It is a fundamental denial of bodily autonomy; we must resist these oppressive structures through making them visible and challenging them loudly."
Performer Charlotte McBurney: "In a lot of ways, the days of ovarian compressors and hysterical paroxysms are long gone. The variety of treatments for “hysteria” through the ages is laughable. But we are still living with the social and medical repercussions of the “hysteria” obsession. AFAB (assigned female at birth) bodies are commodified, sexualised and disbelieved. Maybe we haven’t come as far as we’d like to think."
We are excited for the return of favourites A&E Comedy on Wed 25 Mar, who previously brought us Witch Hunt and Do All The Things. Funny, feral, and gloriously unapologetic, their latest show Game of Crones is a celebration of women who refuse to fade quietly, and sees them march into the perilous lands of the “third age” - described as "society’s invisible wasteland where nests lie empty and the hot flushes smoulder!"
Game of Crones (Raphael Lambrakis-Haddad)
Comedy duo Abigail and Emma tell us: "We are thrilled to be making a return to Exeter Phoenix with our new show Game of Crones. The show is a riotous of celebration of women in their prime as it reframes the classical Hero’s journey from the perspective of a mid-life Queen-ager! We love making shows that challenge societal expectations of women, and take on the mantle of the crone to inspire women of all ages through joyful dissent and mischief. Although focused on the journey of our older female protagonist, the show holds a more universal appeal, we all have older women in our lives, mothers, grandmothers, teachers, and caregivers. In this show stereotypes of middle age are exploded and lambasted. Expect to come away with a desire to set fire to your cardigan and give an unapologetic middle finger to despair!"
At the end of the month we welcome new work by, and supported by, one of the world’s leading female choreographers: Jasmin Vardimon MBE has been paving a pathway for others into the world of professional dance since 2012 through JV2, a training programme that has supported over 200 graduates, 87% of whom are now working professionally within the creative industries.
The established JV2 Professional Development Diploma was developed by Jasmin Vardimon Company with the mission to encourage, cultivate and nurture young talent; offering the next generation of dancers a unique opportunity for train as versatile and multi-disciplinary performers under the guidance of Jasmin, as well as platforming rising talent in lighting and costume design, helping to build a diverse and thriving creative pipeline.
The JV2 programme has commissioned 20 emerging choreographers, providing opportunities for their work to be created and performed by JV2 dancers, some of which you can see alongside Jasmin's work at JV2: Triple Bill on Tue 31 Mar.
JV2 (Bill Knight)
Beyond March, we have the fantastic Nine Sixteenths touring to us on Tue 05 May, where theatre maker Paula Varjack is joined by choreographer/maker Pauline Mayers, actress/director Endy McKay, choreographer Julienne Doko, and a BSL interpreter. The show charts the aftermath of Justin Timberlake exposing Janet Jackson's breast for nine sixteenths of a second during the 2004 SuperBowl halftime show, alongside a celebration of reclamation through the hopes and dreams of four black female performers.
The cast of Nine Sixteenths (Christa Holka)
Paula tells us: "Janet Jackson was a tremendous icon to me at a time when I had relatively few black female artists to look to. She was a game changer in so many ways - and did it on her terms. After her ‘wardrobe malfunction’ the music industry let her down, in ways so effective that many thought her career faded away. Yet she kept working, making music and films and now, finally, the injustice of what happened is being recognised. In the end, it’s the art that matters. As an iconic role model for many black women, and an outspoken ally for the LGBTQI+ community she made great art. The show also looks at why role models matter and the lack of older female role models of colour and the role that (largely) white male media executives play in deciding who thrives in mainstream pop culture."
As part of Matrescence Festival, Marie Hamilton will be bringing us babes-in-arms friendly performances of her Edinburgh Fringe hit, Madonna on the Rocks on Tue 19 May. In this show - which sits somewhere between a musical and cabaret - Marie draws from her own lived experience and manages to tackle the darkness and complexity of new motherhood with raw honesty, humour and heart. It’s an urgent issue in our society, yet very few people are aware of the social, physiological and psychological transitions people go through when becoming mothers, known as matrescence.
Madonna On The Rocks (Mihaela Bodlovic)
Marie says: "I had my first baby in 2022 and suffered from post natal depression. Sometimes it felt like I was drowning and I would never reach the surface. Characteristically dramatic, I could feel my horizons shrinking to the size of the changing table, and my resentments starting to pile like the nappies in the bin. This play is about the beautiful, awful contradictions of motherhood in the 21st Century. Whether you can still be a feminist if you can’t afford childcare, matrilineal sacrifice, maternal rage, and the pressure of making work good enough to justify leaving your child."
Matrescence Festival organiser Lizzy Humber will be hosting a post-show Q&A with Marie following the matinee performance.
We also look forward to our May half-term holiday "feel-good" family offering: Rabbits Out of the Hat is a Vaudevillian comedy magic show for people of all ages, featuring circus arts, contortion, showstopper songs and dance. As the show begins, Norvil & Josephine appear to be the traditional magician and assistant. But the status quo is about to be turned on its head... It is a game changing show which challenges the stereotype of the commanding male magician and silent supportive female assistant.
Co-creator, Desireé Kongerød (aka Josephine), explains: "The comedy musical magic show Rabbits Out of the Hat is a play about Norvil & Josephine, a brother and sister vaudevillian magic duo. The play is set in 1905 at a pivotal moment in the history of the suffragette movement. Josephine, Norvil’s assistant, is inspired by the movement to find strength to realise her own dream of becoming a magician. By bringing this historical element into the story, it shines a light upon the important topic of women's equality to a new generation and the fact that women’s right to vote has only been excited for 108 years."
Writing in the show's programme, academic Annegret Märten observes: "It was a time when women were pushing boundaries and demanding more than just applause – they wanted real change. And, just as Josephine starts to control the stage, we’re reminded that these women were fighting for control over their own lives. As you watch the show, maybe you’re wondering, who else in the world outside the theatre is trying to find their voice? The magic in Rabbits Out the Hat isn’t just for laughs and gasps – it’s a reminder that the fight for equality and the right to be yourself is still happening. So, as you enjoy the spectacle, think about the real-world magic of people standing up, speaking out, and making change – just like Josephine."
We can't wait for young people and adults alike to experience and feel empowered by this hilarious and heartwarming show on Wed 27 May.
Please join us in celebrating these incredible stories of women and supporting the creatives behind shows by coming along to their performances. We offer a range of ticket prices under our Pay What You Can scheme, with options from £8 to £16, across our seasonal Performance Programme.
Do you identify as a South West based woman seeking an opportunity to platform a new piece of performance work? Applications are now open for the next Scratch Night in collaboration with Exeter Northcott, which will be featured as part of Reclaim Festival: a festival of work by women, for everyone. Find out more and apply >