Giving voice
to the ignored and silenced
Women with Pockets produces original Australian theatre that celebrates and uplifts middle-aged women. We believe this demographic - too often ignored on our stages - is hungry for stories that reflect their lives, their struggles, and their riotous, middle-aged irreverence.
The Origin Story
Women with Pockets began at a friend’s 50th birthday party, where a room full of brilliant women found themselves talking about midlife: the rage, the exhaustion, the invisibility, and the strange contradiction of feeling more powerful than ever, while also feeling like the world had stopped looking.
Queenie and Tiffany realised the stories they were hearing weren’t being reflected on our stages, screens or in the culture around them. So, being theatre makers, they set out to change that. After years of gathering real stories from women across Australia, writing, workshopping, rewriting, laughing, crying and occasionally staring into the middle distance, Middle Raged was born.
As the photos suggest, it’s been quite the journey!
Tiffany Noack worked as a Stage Manager for sixteen years, collaborating with companies including La Boite Theatre, Kooemba Jdarra Indigenous Performing Arts, Queensland Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company and Belvoir. A career highlight during this time was working on the original stage production of The Sapphires.
In 2007, Tiffany joined Andrew Kay & Associates, delivering productions including QI Live with Stephen Fry, The Book Club with Amanda Muggleton, Calamity Jane starring Virginia Gay, Not the Messiah with Eric Idle, and the blockbuster immersive experiences Monet & Friends and Van Gogh Alive – The Experience.
Most recently, Tiffany was Senior Producer of Bluey's World, recognised by TIME Magazine on its World's Greatest Places to Visit list for 2025.
Tiffany has also worked with internationally renowned talent including Nigella Lawson, Michael Parkinson, Kevin McCloud and Louis Theroux. Another producing highlight was co-producing DanTDM On Tour, which broke Sydney Opera House box office records for the highest number of tickets sold in the first hour.
Tiffany is passionate about creating productions that not only entertain, but also inspire and empower women. Creating and developing Middle Raged over the past five years has brought that passion vividly to life.
Meet the Women
Queenie van de Zandt is a towering force in Australian musical theatre, cabaret, and comedy. She has the unique ability to make people feel deeply, and to awaken laughter, empathy and awareness in equal measure.
Her career spans musical theatre, plays, cabaret, recording, film, television, comedy, writing, and arts education. Career highlights include: Upright II (Foxtel/BINGE), The Newsreader (ABC), Face to Face (Sydney Theatre Company), Women of Troy (Malthouse/STC), Next to Normal, Into the Woods (Victorian Opera), Funny Girl (Sydney Symphony Orchestra), and King Kong Live on Stage (Global Creatures).
As the driving force behind her boutique production house, Amazon Woman Enterprises, Queenie has released five albums, created award-winning theatre shows including the multi-award-winning BLUE: The Songs of Joni Mitchell, and developed a cult following for her comedy alter-ego, Jan van de Stool.
Beyond performance, Queenie co-founded The Australian Musical Theatre Academy (AMTA), where she has been called a "star-maker" for her success in training students who now perform lead roles in major musicals worldwide.
With 22 award nominations and 9 wins, Queenie continues to create, perform, and advocate for artists across Australia.