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Losing Face Review: Melbourne Theatre Company’s Hilarious New Comedy
★★★★½
The hilarious new comedy Losing Face has opened at Melbourne Theatre Company, delivering a night of uncontrollable laughter from start to finish.
If you are anything like me, a nearly 50-year-old woman navigating the joys (and frustrations) of perimenopause, you will probably feel a real connection to this new play by Australian Writers’ Guild Award winner Marieke Hardy (Laid, Heartbreak High). It felt like exactly the play I needed to see right now.
There has been a growing conversation recently about women speaking more openly about perimenopause, menopause and ageing, in an effort to remove the stigma that surrounds them. Losing Face tackles these topics with humour, heart and countless laugh-out-loud moments.
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The story follows Jo, who invites her lifelong friends Lauren and Simone on an all-expenses-paid luxury getaway to celebrate her 50th birthday. The trio soon discover that The Royal You is no ordinary wellness retreat. Instead, it’s a hyper-luxe biohacking resort obsessed with turning back the clock through injectables, nips, tucks and lifts.
After deciding the wellness treatments can wait, the friends head out for a night on the town. What follows is one of the funniest sequences I’ve seen on stage. There were so many moments that reminded me of things my own friends would have done over the years. Without giving too much away, one of the biggest laughs involves a Mexican fast-food restaurant… and that’s all I’m going to say.
While the play is packed with comedy from start to finish, it gradually shifts into darker comedy as the story unfolds. I finally understood why it has been described as a “perimenopausal Weekend at Bernie’s.” Beneath all the laughs is a timely reminder that growing older is much easier when you have a strong circle of friends or family around you
The cast were outstanding, with every performer bringing something unique to the production.
Michala Banas (Jo) perfectly captured Jo’s carefree personality. She embraces the role of the friend without kids or family commitments and delivers plenty of laughs throughout the show.
Wil King (Tomas) was absolutely hilarious. His physical comedy, especially his dance moves, had the audience in stitches.
Madeleine Sami (Simone) gave a wonderful performance as the friend who appears to have everything under control, while quietly struggling with her own insecurities beneath the surface.
Christie Whelan Browne (Lauren) completely stole the show for me. Perhaps it’s because I related most to Lauren’s character, but her comedic timing was flawless. I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed so much during a theatre performance.
Genevieve Morris shifts between nurse and influencer with ease. Her influencer character is especially funny, and the oversized hat really steals the scene.
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Director Leticia Cáceres maintains a strong sense of pace throughout, balancing broad, outrageous comedy with quieter moments.
Jo Briscoe’s rotating set design is especially effective, fluidly transforming the stage between locations.
Lighting by Amelia Lever-Davidson and sound design by Kelly Ryall work in perfect sync with the production, shifting us from the clinical calm of the wellness retreat to the chaos of a big night out.
Commissioned through Melbourne Theatre Company’s NEXT STAGE Writers’ Program, Losing Face is a sharply funny new Australian work that skewers the beauty industry while celebrating the messy, complicated friendships that help carry us through life’s biggest changes.
If you are after a night of big laughs, this is one not to miss.
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Losing Face
Written by Marieke Hardy
Directed by Leticia Cáceres
Cast: Michala Banas, Wil King, Genevieve Morris, Madeleine Sami and Christie Whelan Browne
Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Sumner
Date: 22 June – 25 July 2026
Running time: Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes (no interval)
Recommended for ages 15+: contains mature themes, graphic imagery and coarse language.
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