Celebrated Canadian performer and writer Haley McGee has become a global phenomenon. Her new solo show, Age Is a Feeling, directed by Mitchell Cushman, is making its Canadian premiere at Soulpepper after playing to sold-out houses in Edinburgh and London, UK and being translated into other languages for performances by solo artists in Asia, Europe and South America.
McGee’s international reach is a testament to the depth and universal resonance of her work. She has garnered acclaim for her innovative and deeply personal solo shows, which navigate the intersections of memory, personal growth, and the intricacies of human relationships – and are always delivered with a unique blend of laugh-out-loud humour and a-ha-inducing poignancy. After you watch a McGee show, the themes take up residence in your head, follow you home . . . and stick around for a while.
McGee rose to prominence with The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale, which premiered in 2018. (Read our review here.) Also directed by Cushman, this solo show ingeniously combines elements of storytelling, stand-up comedy, and performance art to explore the value we place on relationships and material possessions. The premise revolves around McGee attempting to pay off her credit card debt by selling items given to her by ex-boyfriends. Each item is accompanied by a story and some recorded insight from the ex-boyfriend in question. The show explores themes of love, loss, and the economics of relationships. Earning praise for its witty, relatable, and insightful commentary, The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale won a 2023 Dora Award and was adapted into a book of the same name, published by Penguin Random House Canada.
Age Is a Feeling continues McGee’s exploration of life’s pivotal moments. This interactive monologue allows the audience to choose from a selection of stories that reflect the different stages and experiences in a person’s life, as it unfolds across the show beginning from the protagonist’s 25th birthday. Because not all narratives are revealed in each performance, the show’s structure demonstrates the necessary selectivity of any single life story.
“It’s not quite a never-the-same-twice show,” explains McGee. “I crunched the numbers—there are actually 180 possible combinations of stories. I’ve performed the show about 70 times… and we’ve had a couple of combos twice. That’s all down to chance. The structure of the show—having the audience choose which 6 of the 12 stories they’ll hear on a given night—reflects one of the show’s big themes: the unknowability of a human life.”
This innovative format, coupled with McGee’s charismatic and contemplative performance, has earned widespread acclaim for the show’s emotional depth in addressing themes of aging, relationships, and the wisdom that comes with hindsight. Premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022 before transferring to Soho Theatre in London for two sold-out runs, Age Is a Feeling was an Olivier nominee and a Fringe-First winner.
Inspired by hospices, mystics, and visits to cemeteries, this solo show grapples with our endless chances to change course while we’re alive. It serves as a covert rallying cry against cynicism and regret—a call to seize our time and make the most of it. “I’ve always had a fascination with the macabre,” admits McGee. “I had a dream about being buried alive as a little child. And I’ve been terrified of dying too soon ever since. About 5 years ago, when I started working on the show, I was curious to create something about how to live without fearing death. Interestingly, people who work with death on a daily basis have some of the most refreshing perspectives on life.”
Since its debut Age Is a Feeling has transcended cultural boundaries, being performed in multiple languages and regions. “The show has been translated into Mandarin, Spanish, Maltese and performed in China, Chile and Malta, all directed by artists based in those places and performed by local actresses. More productions are scheduled in Brazil, Turkey, India, and Germany – again, all in their native tongues. I have very little to do with the translations. And I feel like it’s important that I release the text to be interpreted by the artists working on it. But I have loved talking with some of the artists involved with these productions, in particular the actresses, about their approach to the text and athletic exercise that is this one-woman show.”
Born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo, McGee worked at theatres across Canada before immigrating to London UK. There, her impressive career has included acting in Doctor Who, appearing on BBC Radio 4 Dramas, and creating an installation work at one of London’s busiest tube stations. As versatile as she is prolific, McGee is also a voice actor and improviser with London’s Free Association, and she offers online courses in self-producing theatre and creating solo shows – the twin sources of her international renown.
Though she never set out to be a solo writer/performer, this has been a path not just to success, but to deep fulfillment: “It really suits me—total freedom and total control,” she laughs. “But truly, I think those are the two warring parts of me, and they get to spar and be satisfied in this form. I love the direct line to an audience I have in a solo show—the immediacy, the high-wire nature of it, and the never pretending this performance is for anyone but them.”
Age is a Feeling explores life from age 25 to its end – and in keeping with its focus, a reflective McGee has some useful advice for her own selves: “I’d love to tell my 25-year-old self to worry less about pleasing gatekeepers and focus more on making art with her peers. Also, don’t worry. Boyfriends are like buses: if you want one, there’s always another one coming.” And looking ahead to “five years from the end of my life: Stay interested in what’s happening now. You are still valuable. Don’t drone on about the past!”
Age Is a Feeling will not drone on – it’s on stage at Soulpepper Theatre, in association with Luminato Festival, and has just been extended until June 23, 2024, with shows offering audience enrichment and accessibility:
- ASL Interpretation – June 5, 8:00 pm
- Audio Description – June 6, 8:00 pm
Reserve tickets at soulpepper.ca.
© Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2024
