Rocío Raval Tackles Midlife Crisis in Solo Show Miss 40

Rocío Raval, a performer with two decades on stage, will present her solo show *Miss 40* tonight at 9pm in Encamp's sports and cultural complex party room. The production uses humour and satire to explore the midlife crisis many face at 40, challenging societal expectations around marriage, children, and conventional milestones.

In the show, Raval reflects on personal shifts, such as moving from nightlife to needing magnesium supplements for sleep. She addresses the gap between what society anticipates—settling down with a family—and her own path, which diverged after an early marriage at 18 and a business that collapsed by 25. "I stood at 40 without any of that," she notes, adding that many others share this experience, breaking stereotypes that affect both women and men.

The performance evokes childhood memories of street play without smartphones, contrasting them with today's unrecognisable world. Raval sees humour as liberating, turning shared pains into comedy rather than tragedy. She also writes dramatic poetry and once blended the two in a show, shifting from laughs to serious verse on the same topics. "Comedy is our tragedy on stage," she says.

Raval founded Improderadas, an all-women improv troupe, after frustrating experiences performing alongside male comedian Andreu Casanova. Locals would overlook her, asking about "the other guy" despite her matching T-shirt emblazoned with "Impro!" The group has toured widely with *Deconstrucshow*, using humour to explain feminism as equality, not anti-male sentiment. Their goal: help audiences, like a bar patron named Manolo, grasp the concept through laughs.

Despite early scepticism from her ex-husband, who doubted her theatre ambitions, Raval emphasises listening to one's inner voice. "The important thing is to do what you feel you want for your life," she says.