About Midlife Crisis Theatre Company

Midlife Crisis Theatre Company is an ensemble, community based, non-profit drama company, based in Manchester. It consists of former acting professionals and dedicated community actors & crew, all of whom give their time and skills voluntarily.

Midlife Crisis Theatre Company was born in 2004, when Fran Horwich and Gill Cooper, both former professional actors, started to get itchy feet, wanting to tread the boards again. Busy with raising families, neither had acted for some time, but  they retained their deep affection for the theatre. And so Midlife Crisis began.

The very first performance was the female version of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple', at the Whitefield Garrick, Manchester, in the spring of 2004. It ran for three nights and was a sell out.

In 2013 Fran was commissioned by the Jewish Theatre Company to choose and Direct one of the late Jack Shepard's plays, to commemorate his life, at the Manchester Jewish Museum.
She chose 'Bar Mitzvah Boy', writing her own stage adaptation from the original screen play. It also featured many of the Midlife Crisis ensemble.
It was an award-winning success, winning Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Youth Actor.

It took a little longer than anticipated, thirteen years in fact, to realise a follow up to MLC's first production.
But in 2017 Midlife Crisis returned with Curtain Up!
A succession of award winning productions has ensued each year ever since.
Curtain Up! - 2017
Hoovering Round the Edge - 2018
Four Old Broads - 2019
(hiatus over 2020-21 due to the pandemic)
When We Are Married - 2022
Rumors - 2024
Present Laughter - 2025
45 Seconds From Broadway - 2026