A punk rock coming-of-age: 'Menarche in the U.K.' takes the Albuquerque stage

A new play blending punk rock energy, comedy, and coming-of-age chaos is set to premiere in Albuquerque this spring.

“Menarche in the U.K.,” presented by Blackout Theatre Company, will run at Fusion | 708 from Friday, March 21, through Sunday, March 23, and April 4-6. Juno Brewery will host additional performances March 28-30. Written by Caroline Toby Graham and directed by Amelia Ampuero, the production is a fast-paced, funny and tender exploration of adolescence, queerness and the chaos of coming of age.

The origins of “Menarche in the U.K.” can be traced back to Graham’s time in the Master of Fine Arts playwriting program at the University of New Mexico, where an unconventional writing exercise led to the play’s distinctive structure.

“We had to ‘borrow’ a narrative structure outside of traditional storytelling — like a grocery list or the zodiac — to write a play. I chose a menstrual cycle, so it was a very short, 28-scene play with a cyclical narrative,” Graham said.

At its core, the play follows two teenagers, Stoz and Prinkey, as they navigate the turmoil of social anxiety, self-discovery and the awkward indignities of growing up.

“I wanted to honor the cringiest aspects of adolescence,” Graham said. “The perpetual embarrassment, the big fashion swings that don’t pan out, the little moments of unkindness we test out on each other, hoping that they’ll make us feel bigger or cooler or less vulnerable.”

One particularly memorable scene is drawn from Graham’s own eighth-grade experience, and involves a character having an embarrassing period experience in front of a crush.

The play’s humor was an immediate draw for Ampuero. “It’s probably one of the funniest scripts I’ve ever read,” she said. “The first time I read it, I got to page 17, and I knew I wanted to figure out how to get this thing off the page and onto the stage.”

The production is described as a “playground” by Ampuero, where rapid-fire character changes, absurdist humor and deeply felt emotional moments coexist. The cast, she said, was encouraged to “jump into the absurdity of the play feet first,” embracing its heightened, punk-infused energy.

A live punk band underscores the play’s frenetic pacing, with musicians Maya Urrutia and Kane Distler not only providing the soundtrack but also acting as an irreverent Greek chorus of sorts.

The play’s approach to queerness is also deliberate, Graham said, “I wanted to write a story that centers queer and nonbinary characters who go through difficult and painful things, but the painful things don’t happen to them because they’re queer — they happen because they happen to everyone.”

Ampuero, too, sees the play as more than just a comedy. “While it may look irreverent, I think that Menarche is really a love letter to anyone who survived puberty, or being queer, or falling in love for the first time,” she said.

They chose to premiere the play with Blackout Theatre because of Graham’s connection to them.

“Blackout Theatre has been my home since 2018, and it has also been the home of this play for the past several years,” Graham said. “The deep investment in new works and bizarre, genre-bending shows made it the obvious choice for this play.”

With performances at both Fusion | 708 and Juno Brewery, the team hopes to reach a diverse audience.

“It’s great to know we have a more traditional theater space at Fusion for folks who already know they love theater,” Ampuero said. “My hope with Juno is that folks who don’t go to the theater will be intrigued by a punk rock, queer, coming-of-age play in a bar, and they’ll grab a beer and come check out the show.”

The production follows a pay-what-you-will ticketing model, with a suggested price of $10–15, ensuring accessibility to a wide audience.

“I hope audiences will laugh a lot, cry a little, and gain the courage to ask some questions they might have been too shy to ask before,” Graham said.

Ampuero echoed that sentiment. “Loving yourself and other people, unapologetically and out loud, is one of the bravest things you can do.”