Milestone birthdays can be a double-edged sword. In an ideal world, they bring hope for a new decade, the chance to celebrate the good fortune of making it through another 10 years, and provide a wonderful excuse to drink more champagne than you probably should. In the case of six-part British comedy drama The Change, however, the birthday-induced existential crisis that can sometimes accompany these significant life moments acts as the fuel for an unexpected journey of self-discovery.
Mum of two and supermarket worker Linda (played by series creator and comedian Bridget Christie) finds herself on the precipice of a new chapter, feeling utterly invisible to her family, to society and, in many ways, to herself. Even on the day of her fiftieth birthday. Her life-of-the-party husband Steve (Omid Djalili) all but confirms her worst fears when he proclaims in his well intentioned, if slightly oblivious toast that, in addition to being “well fit” for her age, Linda is first and foremost a great mum. Though they are hardly insults, they ignite Linda’s longing to rediscover who she was before she became somebody’s wife or mother. Her decades-long diary log of every minute of ‘invisible time’ spent caring for those around her is tangible proof for Linda that she deserves some time to herself for a change. Well, that, and the fact that she can’t seem to remember what a shoe is called anymore.
A visit to her doctor quickly allays her fears that her recent behaviour could be the result of early onset dementia, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, or a strange mental disorder involving loss of nouns. It does, however, confirm the only remaining plausible explanation: the menopause. There’s a sense of empowerment that comes with this diagnosis for Linda, but also an irrepressible urgency; she knows she wants to shake things up and now is the time to do it. If she had any doubts, an unprovoked fight with Tupperware and an Incredible Hulk bandaid are the signs Linda was looking for. After all he is, as Linda tells Steve in her parting letter, the only menopausal role model she can think of in the history of TV and film.
Agnes (Susan Lynch), Linda (Bridget Christie) and Carmel (Monica Dolan). Credit: Expectation
Dusting off her old Triumph motorbike and looking, in her leathers, as far from a tragic change-of-life protagonist as you could imagine, Linda sets off on a solo adventure into the Forest of Dean with a simple goal in mind: to find the time capsule she hid in a tree as a child and reconnect with the person that she used to be. A stop at the Eel Cafe in search of accommodation is the beginning of Linda’s introduction to the eccentric forest community, comprised of the Eel Sisters Carmel and Agnes (Monica Dolan and Susan Lynch), the reclusive Pig Man (Jerome Flynn), outspoken radio DJ The Verderer (Jim Howick), pub regular Tony (Paul Whitehouse), and artist and DJ Joy (Tanya Moodie). It’s an unlikely collection of characters, brought to life by a quality line up of British talent, that quickly endear themselves to Linda as she finally feels seen for who she really is, away from the labels of her domestic existence.
As she heads out in search of the tree she came to find, armed only with a map and a prayer to Saint Anthony, Linda is ready to claim back as many of the over three million logged minutes as she can. When her prayers are answered more quickly than expected, but initially turn up little in the way of childhood treasures, Linda realises that she isn’t ready to call time on her renaissance just yet. There’s still a memory box to find, and with the Eel festival fast approaching, reclaiming this year as a celebration of what it means to be a women, with puberty, the menopause and rebirth at the centre of the festivities, Linda has a deep sense that she is in the right place.
Linda (Bridget Christie) and Pig Man (Jerome Flynn). Credit: Expectation
Her sister Siobhain (Liza Tarbuck) has other ideas though, providing a comical yet straight talking intrusion into Linda’s forest escape as she refuses to buy her sister’s explanation that she simply needs some time to herself. She’s quick to tell Linda to quit her “whingy woman” antics before she makes a fool of herself, but Linda is determined to see her plan through. Her realisation that her beloved forest is under threat of development sees Linda’s personal pilgrimage quickly become a hilariously quirky journey to save the beautiful place that this dysfunctional community call home.
Though she is perhaps best known for her stand-up success, it is Bridget Christie’s masterful transition of her writing from the stage to small screen comedy that makes the series the binge-worthy treat that it is. Her particular brand of quick wit is at the heart of every character, and her account of womanhood, through Linda’s experience, is delivered with a dimension and authenticity that is as refreshing as it is rare. It’s a tale of taking back control of the narrative and finding the joy in all of life’s transformations, whatever form they may take.
All six episodes of The Change will be streaming from Monday, 18 September. The Change will also air on SBS VICELAND with double episodes Mondays 9.25pm from 18 September to 2 October.
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The Change
