Riot Women
Women are rarely at the centre of the old getting-the-band-back-together trope, and even less prominent within tales of the embryonic rise of an all-conquering musical group. With the exception of We Are Lady Parts, such exhilaration is usually reserved for men. But new BBC drama Riot Women sees a group of women navigating middle age in a decidedly novel way: by forming a punk band.
As with many of Wainwright’s works, Riot Women is set in Hebden Bridge. The series opens with a beautifully shot scene of an idyllic Yorkshire cottage inhabited by teacher Beth (Joanna Scanlan), who decides that she is going to end her life. Her plan is thwarted, however, when she gets a call from her friend and publican, Jess (Lorraine Ashbourne), who informs her that she’s starting a rock band. This one glimmer of hope is able to lift Beth’s spirits enough to hold off ending it all.
That hope is at the centre of the series, with each of the women finding newfound purpose through punk camaraderie. There’s Kitty (Rosalie Craig), who is introduced through a brilliant music video-esque interlude: Donning a leopard print coat and knee-high Dr Martens, she goes on a drink, painkiller, and sharp objects binge through a supermarket while suffering from perimenopausal hot flushes. And there’s Holly (Tamsin Greig), a police officer who spends her final day before retirement intervening to stop Kitty from harming herself. Both join the band, along with Holly’s highly strung sister, Yvonne (Amelia Bullmore).
The series excels in depicting the unspoken female rage that often comes with the menopause. Scanlan is outstanding, becoming a walking ghost in her late 50s, invisible to all those around her. Music is also expertly utilised to convey that sense of isolation, with a sublimely visceral Craig belting out Violet by Hole (the lyrics, though written by a young Courtney Love, are poignant in their applicability to the menopausal experience).
Some of the dialogue is a tad on-the-nose, such as Jess using Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a metaphor for the burdens that women bear. The atmosphere of collusion against older women also borders on fatalism at times. These are minor blips, however, on an otherwise superb script.
Riot Women is a refreshing take on the power of sisterhood. Complete with impeccable acting and a killer soundtrack, there’s little to dislike about this uplifting tale of letting out one’s inner punkette.
Antonia Georgiou
Riot Women is released on BBC iPlayer on 7th October 2025.
Watch the trailer for Riot Women here:
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