MY INSPIRATION: YVONNE VINCENT AND MARIE THOM – HEAR ME ROAR

A Gateshead bestselling author and a midlife influencer with a combined 200k following have turned years of encouraging women to live more boldly into Hear Me Roar, a new live stage show about midlife and beyond, friendship and refusing to become invisible, which they are set to perform at Gateshead’s Little Theatre on 19th September

Here, Yvonne and Marie talk about what spurred them on to take the leap from social media to stage…

The inspiration is personal, but it reflects a wider picture, with research finding that women are more likely than men to be ignored or dismissed because of age, while the North East reports England’s highest levels of age discrimination.

Yvonne: ‘The encouragement of other people to put my writing out there played a huge part in where I am now, so I see Hear Me Roar as paying it forward.

“Years of employment, mortgages and parenthood had conditioned me to keep my head down; don’t rock the boat or we’ll all drown. By 48, I was fat, furry and watching life go by, posting things that made me laugh for my friends. That was the beginning of the change.

“Starting my Growing Old Disgracefully page, writing books, quitting my job to write, creating the Hear Me Roar podcast with Marie – every step required an enormous pair of big girl pants, but people cheered me on all the way.

“My…oh Lordy, I hate the word journey…mirrors something we repeatedly hear from our podcast guests: the power of saying yes, even when you’re bricking it, and of finding your tribe. It’s my mission to rock the boat, give women a place to be seen and heard, and shout “yes, you can!” Our show does just that.”

Marie: “Publishers told me nobody would want to read anything written by me because I wasn’t famous and didn’t have a platform, so I started a Facebook page.

“My Midlife Dramas in Pyjamas page exists to let women know they’re not alone as they age, and it’s evolved into a community that gives confidence and positivity to its followers. I hate being told what I shouldn’t wear ‘at my age’ by so-called fashion experts. Being comfortable in your own clothes is the only fashion rule you should apply. I refuse to age into beige.

“I do talks for women’s groups and often hear how much women value being reminded that they’re allowed to take up space, be silly, try something new and dress for themselves. That’s a huge part of what the Hear Me Roar stage show is about. I want women to recognise themselves in what we’re saying, laugh with us and feel a little bolder when they leave.’

“Yvonne and Marie met through Facebook and immediately clicked. Shopping days, cocktails and long lunches followed, as did a shared love of saying yes. After writing and performing a 20-minute sketch, for a menopause day in London, creating a stage show seemed the natural next step.

“Hear Me Roar mixes comedy sketches, stand-up and songs inspired the the absurdities of midlife, with friendship and women supporting women at its heart. Learning lines through brain fog has been daunting, but both vehemently say, ‘We refuse to be invisible. Our age does not define or limit us, and it certainly won’t hold us back. We will keep returning bolder, brighter and better.”

Hear Me Roar is on at the Little Theatre, Gateshead on 19th September. Tickets are available here.