That’s what inspired her to create her new solo show, Aphrodisiac, a fun but informative look at sex (or lack of it) within long-term relationships. “It’s one of the things that people just don’t talk about” says Jeannie.
“People are happy to talk about the menopause or even bowel issues, but there’s still a taboo around things like vaginal dryness or erectile dysfunction. And people certainly don’t feel confident talking about the fact that their sex life has tapered off – it’s seen as embarrassing, people tend to think that everyone else’s love life is packed with passion, and that they’re the weirdos because things are now more cuddles and cocoa for them. As a GP it’s something I’d like people to feel more comfortable discussing with their doctors, so I figured that looking for the humour, and trying to make it feel a bit more normal, was something I could do as a comedian, and that’s how the show came to be”.
Jeannie started her comedy career in 2012 and has since gone on to gig around the UK and Europe. “When I first started doing comedy, I was pretty naive – I was a married Mum of two living in the countryside – so some of the backstage chat was a bit of an eyeopener… let’s just say I learned a lot of new terminology that hadn’t come up in medical school!”
It's one of the reasons that Jeannie believes that sex is a good topic for comedy – and that comedy is a good way to get people talking about sex. “There’s a freedom on stage that doesn’t exist anywhere else – normally if you stand up in a room full of people and start talking about your love life you’ll end up in trouble, but in a comedy club there’s an agreement between you and the audience that you can talk about things you might not normally share with strangers. I think that’s what makes a comedy show a good way of getting people thinking about their relationship, and hopefully feeling that it’s something they can talk about with their doctor if need be. I think being able to laugh about sex is the first step to breaking down barriers and banishing embarrassment.”
Whilst Jeannie is looking for laughs with her show, she’s keen to point out there’s a serious side to it “A couple of years ago the BMJ reported that three National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles showed that people in Britain were having less sex – especially people in early middle-age, and those in long-term relationships. That’s a pretty scary thought, especially when you consider that people who have an active sex life are happier and healthier, both physically and mentally. I hope that alongside the laughs, my show helps people get things back on track. Afterall, research shows that it’s not just laughter that’s the best medicine!”