'Fat Blokes' at the Purcell Room, Southbank

Last night I went to see some fat blokes dancing and talking on stage in 'Fat Blokes' at the Purcell Room. 'Fat Blokes' is a show by Scottee, a mix of cabaret, political diatribe, performance art and a challenge to the way we think about people who are overweight. Are they overweight or are they the right weight for them at that time? There are some serious and complex issues wound into and about body weight - not least the health impact - and these are explored in this show.

According to the blurb:

Fat Blokes is a (sort of) dance show about flab, double chins and getting your kit off in public by artist and forward facing fatso, Scottee.

Fat Blokes uncovers why fat men are never sexy but always funny, always the ‘before’ but never the ‘after’ shot.

It’s made in collaboration with choreographer Lea Anderson and four fat blokes who’ve never done this sort of thing before.

Prepare yourself for a show about pent up aggression, riot grrrl and the hokey cokey.

This is fat rebellion.

We have Scottee and his gang of four fat blokes, Asad, Joe, Sam and Gez. They dance, they talk and tell us their stories, they face challenges - what might happen next? There's a group dance or a monologue from Scottee and then one of them tells us his story. Joe tells us he grew up being bullied for being fat and that fat is a political issue; Asad tells us he loves big men but hates his own body and is on a diet, he also tells us he hasn't spoken to his father for two years; Sam tells us how he ended up having a glass being buried in the back of his head in Soho; and Gez tells us that he loves his body as it is. There are some powerful stories here.

Scottee also challenges himself and his gang with two tasks: choose to eat in public and choose whether to take a thin pill, depending on how they feel. Two chose to take the pill to make them thin.

Loud, brash music, great lighting and some creative choreography worked well with Scottee's monologues and the blokes' stories. It was an enjoyable and challenging show, thought-provoking and fun. Well done chaps!