‘In the Lady Garden’ brings laughter and rebellion to Hastings

A one-woman comedy about growing older, looking back and refusing to fade into the background is heading to Hastings. After a successful UK tour and an acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe run, In the Lady Garden is scheduled for one performance at the Stables Theatre on Friday 16 October, at 7.30pm.

Key takeaways

The show combines humour with reflections on women’s lives and the expectations placed on them. For audiences, it offers an evening of live comedy in a local theatre setting.

• When: Friday 16 October at 7.30pm

• Where: Stables Theatre, Hastings

• On stage: Julia Faulkner as Alice, in a play by Babs Horton and directed by Deborah Edgington

• Themes: Growing up in the 1950s and 60s, menopause, ageing and women’s visibility

Alice looks back — and considers what comes next

At the heart of the show is Alice, aged 69, imagining how her life might have unfolded if she had made different choices as a young woman. Her reflections range from convent-school experiences to a relationship with Keith, whom she met while working at a pie factory. The question is whether she can cast off old constraints and approach the years ahead on her own terms.

The play takes on subjects including menopause, ageing and the way older women can be overlooked, using comedy rather than treating those experiences as off-limits. Its perspective is shaped by a creative team with decades of professional theatre and writing experience: Horton, performer Faulkner and director Edgington, collectively known as The Lady Gardeners.

From festival success to a Hastings stage

The Hastings date follows sell-out performances and a UK tour. In 2024, the production was selected as one of seven Edinburgh National Partnership shows supported by Pleasance Theatre London and Theatre Royal Plymouth. It was also shortlisted for the Popcorn Writing Award and named runner-up for the Brighton Fringe Excellence Award.

Reviews have praised its lively writing and punchlines. The result, according to the production’s description, is an hour that pairs laughter with frank observations about women’s lives — and the reminder that getting older need not mean disappearing from view.

Live comedy beyond Hastings

For London audiences inspired to make live comedy part of their routine, award-winning Comedy in Your Eye hosts professional acts every Tuesday and Thursday at The Camden Eye in Camden Town. Its intimate pub setting offers a relaxed, welcoming way to discover established talent and enjoy a night out close to home.

• Hit comedy In the Lady Garden heads to Hastings, SussexWorld.