‘Oh my God, what a brutal existence!’ Haley McGee on her global hit about growing old

The Canadian performer visited hospices, mystics and cemeteries to research Age Is a Feeling. And the line about white pubic hair – which has now been performed in 10 languages – always gets a laugh It is the summer of 2024 and Haley McGee is performing Age Is a Feeling at a festival in Toronto. Her show is in good shape, having already raked in five-star reviews at the Edinburgh fringe. But this performance is different. As she launches into her poignant monologue about life, death and the business of getting old, she hears a baby cry. The newborn sleeps through the rest of the show, but the performer, who is newly pregnant herself, feels as though she is speaking directly to this child and its young family. “It framed the whole show as a conversation with this baby,” McGee says: “This is my message for you about your adult life.” Continue reading...

By Mark Fisher