Justin Elizabeth Sayre brings their acclaimed solo show Justin Elizabeth Sayre Is a 40-Year-Old Woman to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, blending stand-up, storytelling and sharp cultural insight.
The production takes the milestone of turning forty as its starting point, reframing it as a state of mind rather than a number. For Sayre, the “forty-year-old woman” represents confidence, defiance and self-possession – an identity that anyone can claim, regardless of age or gender.
Drawing inspiration from classic Hollywood icons, the show explores what it means to age in a culture that prizes youth, while celebrating the power that comes with experience. Alongside its humour, the piece opens up a wider conversation about queer visibility and ageing, reflecting on the absence of older queer role models for a generation shaped by the legacy of the AIDS crisis.
Sayre said: “When the world says you’re not enough, I want to be entirely too much!” The show builds this ethos into a lively and affirming theatrical experience, encouraging audiences to embrace their own sense of worth and individuality.
Funny, reflective and unapologetically bold, the production is both a personal journey and a call to reclaim space and visibility.
Justin Elizabeth Sayre Is a 40-Year-Old Woman runs at Underbelly Bristo Square from 5 – 30 August at 18:10. Tickets are on sale here
