Justin Elizabeth Sayre Is A 40-Year-Old Woman comedy review: Ode to self-expression
What begins as a high-energy stand-up set soon snowballs into a tender reflection on growing up queer and the beauty of ageing
Before Justin Elizabeth Sayre appears, the stage feels stark, shrouded in black curtains. Then our turn emerges in a multi-coloured satin matching set, and their vivacious presence fills the space. They launch into humorous stories of early queer awakenings, including anecdotes of trying on their grandmother’s mink coat while quite literally in the closet.
Some references cater to a specific audience and may not land for everyone. Yet midway through, the tone softens into something more universal: the ache of being too much, and yet somehow not enough. For Sayre, middle age is not a marker of being past one’s prime but an opportunity for unapologetic self-expression. Funny, personal and unexpectedly poignant, Sayre’s mission to ‘stand in the boldness of who I am’ becomes the show’s defining sentiment: a delightful rejection of the expectation that ageing means becoming smaller.
Justin Elizabeth Sayre Is A 40-Year-Old Woman, Underbelly Bristo Square, until 30 August, 6.10pm; picture: Austin Ruffer.