Everything Theatre Reviews, interviews and news for theatre lovers, London and beyond
Pleasance Dome – JackDome
A multidisciplinary hash of food, queer sex and scary movies.Summary
Rating
Excellent
Dressed like a retro cinema usherette with a crimson mini dress and patent high heels, Colm McCready storms down the raked seating, making a high-octane entrance. After a video presentation by the vampiric Count Calories (one of McCready’s alter egos), we are introduced to Scaredy. They are McCready’s stage persona, whose queer sexual awakening blossomed once upon a time inside the “horny horror” section of a VHS store in rural Northern Ireland.
Visual and verbal references to cinematic horror are the backbone of this performance and are lost on the portion of audience who isn’t familiar with the genre. Does this affect the enjoyment, though? It’s safe to say that I don’t know anything about horror films and yet I never really felt disconnected from the narrative. The pace is so sustained that we are not given time to ponder on an idea for too long before the next one is thrown at us, constantly stoking the fire of our attention. Nor does one need to have first-hand experience of fat-shaming or queer identity either to savour the timely relevance and liberating charm of this show.
Scaredy is out in full spring and takes us all along a joyride of self-discovery; from being bullied for his weight by his own brother, to embracing his true self – both in appearance and sexuality. Meanwhile, the creepy Count Calories is out to haunt him again and again with his body-shaming taunts.
Despite the sombre subject matter, a boisterous comedic tone is entirely earned as entertainment doesn’t mean lack of drama. This sizzling hash of food, queer sex and scary movies proves that challenging topics like self-acceptance can be expressed using a plethora of theatrical languages without losing their impact.
As his mum always told him, Scaredy is a natural born showman and McCready’s sharp eloquence means that even those sections that might have been improvised are carefully weaved into one another to create a robust whole. His antics are inspiringly honest, fun to watch and utterly engaging from beginning to end.
Written by: Colm McCready
Directed by: Seón Simpson
Produced by: SkelpieLimmer Productions
Scaredy Fat played as part of EdFringe 2023.
