EDINBURGH 2023: SCAREDY FAT Q&A

BWW catches up with Colm McCready to chat about bringing Scaredy Fat to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Scaredy Fat? 

Scaredy Fat is a comedy about big bodies and horror movies and how the latter helped shape the big babe I am today. With drag, animation and lip-syncs galore, follow usherette Scaredy through the cinematic sexual awakenings of yesteryear growing up fat and gay in rural Northern Ireland. Produced by the award-winning SkelpieLimmer (of EdFringe hit “Two Fingers Up”) Scaredy Fat is full of heart, humour and calories. 

Why did you think this was an important story to tell?

As a fat performer it was important to take up space unashamedly and create something fun and joyous that (not so) little Colm would be proud of. In small town Ireland big openly queer bodies weren’t bountiful but bootleg horror movies were aplenty. 

But how could I feel this genre empowerment when the genre I loved didn’t love me back? And how did that feed everyone else’s fear of fat around me when I was just trying to serve BMI Bride of Frankenstein realness? More fat queer bodies on stage! 

In January we won the Edinburgh National Partnerships award with Les Enfants Terribles and Lyric Belfast. The pride the team had winning that award in London was overwhelming. It confirms for us that Northern Irish artists are strong international players- which we already know but it feels like the world (and our government) forget that. Hearing the response to a 10 minute snippet that night I felt how important the story was to so many people. I knew the story was so valuable to me personally and professionally but after that night I know how much audiences need the catharsis of fatness and queerness being a celebration and not a tragedy

 

This sounds amazing but I’m a massive wimp — is the actual show scary? 

Horror heavy as it may be, the show is a comedy and not scary in the slightest. Unless you’re scared of a good time. More Carrie than scary, it’s like ordering an extra large pizza with a pig blood bucket base and horror-reference-stuffed crust. Served with a wee side of camp of course. 

Though recovering all the memories of teenage crushes and rural discos is scarier than any horror, so if you've ever been through puberty buy a ticket at your peril.

 

Who would you like to come and see it? 

The gays, the gals and the ghoulies. But all are welcome to Scaredy’s little cinema! We cater to horror fans, queer theatre lovers, and all those big bodied babes out there who may relate to the show’s themes. I think Fringe should also be about challenging yourself, as a performer and an audience member so if you're thinking this is a show you'd never go to I dare you to buy a ticket- you never know what you might get.

 

What would you like audiences to take away from it? 

Did someone say takeaway!?

Fat bodies are more than capable of simply existing happily without fear. And sometimes the call is actually coming from inside other peoples houses and not your own. 

I want audiences to leave feeling entertained, empowered, excited and full of deep nostalgia for the days of video shops.

As SkelpieLimmer say, serious theatre doesn’t have to feel serious. So c'mon with us to the cinema and have one hell of a night!

Tickets are available here: 

 

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