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Evening Standard rating
, New home for Fat Pig
Veronica Lee, Evening Standard 16 Sep 2008
This play, directed by its author, the American controversialist Neil LaBute, has just opened at its new venue after a successful run at Trafalgar Studios. On seeing it there in May, the Standard’s Nicholas De Jongh described it as “an elegant production by its brilliant author” but in other respects found the comedy of modern manners wanting, confessing he found his own laughter shameful. Fat Pig’s subject matter — the notion that fat people are inherently unfanciable — would upset many.
LaBute knows the territory well, having been seriously overweight himself — a condition he says he tried to alter before realising being plump and miserable inspired him to creativity. In his latest creation, then, we see Tom’s instant, although to him baffling, attraction to Helen, a bright, witty and sexy woman, who is what Americans coyly refer to as “plus size”. It doesn’t take long for Tom’s office buddies Cater and Jeannie (who is also his ex-girlfriend and really rather displeased that he now finds a fat woman attractive, for what does that say about her?) to start the mockery — the “fat pig” of the title. Nobody could ever accuse LaBute of unnecessary sensitivity, but many of the play’s lines — witty and well written though they undoubtedly are — cause a collective intake of breath among the audience before the laughter comes.
Cast changes were made as the play moved home. The two women, Ella Smith and Joanna Page (as Helen and Jeannie respectively), remain until the latter is replaced by Kelly Brook on 13 October but Robert Webb and Kris Marshall have departed and Carter and Tom are now played by Nicholas Burns and Kevin Bishop.
The last mentioned is the very talented creator of Channel 4’s Star Stories and more recently his own sketch show. As Carter, the swaggering idiot of a colleague, he is given many of the show’s funniest and most shocking lines.
Until 22 November. Information: 0870 060 6637;
www.theambassadors.com
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (4)
Very average very predictable very limp ending
Highs-Kevin Bishops jokes; Kelly Brook in a bikini
Lows-everything else
Would I recomend-no
- Andrew, Elstree, 20/11/2008 21:07
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A thematic play that tries to make the point that fat people are castoffs, and people cannot and do not fall in love with them. How crazy and ridiculous is that? A reflection, unfortunately, of Neil LaBut'es attiitudal view of the world. I saw all but the first 20 minutes of the play, which I missed. The fact that I received a nominal reduction made little difference. If there was no charge for watching the play, it would have still been a waste of time and a total injustice. I got the feeling that a lot of the audience were embarrassed by the whole thing, but went along with it because it was a west end theatrical perfomance, and they had paid hood money to see it. There was spasmodic laughter, not from the belly, and mostly controlled. I think that sums it up. Do not under any circumstances go and watch this play. Unless of course you're married to a fat woman you plan to divorce!
- Roger Goldsmith, Southsea, UK, 19/11/2008 17:32
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What a dismal waste of time and money watching this.The only positive was the theatre ,which is a great venue,but wait for a different production before visiting.
- C Wilson, UK, 01/11/2008 18:44
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Kelly Brook cannot act. She failed abysmally to "crack" Hollywood, hence why she's most probably had to return back to England. Why, oh why do directors and producers of theatre in the West End seem to opt to give work to two-bit, sub-par non-entities whose chief modus operandi is filling the pages of "zelebrity" mags, when there are so many talented, trained and capable actors and actresses sitting doing nothing that could play these parts in their sleep? It used to be that the West End stage was the place to make one's name in the acting profession - now Shaftesbury Avenue is full of regurgitated, boring, "fast food" style shows that are over-priced, banal and sorely lacking in originality, excitement and risk taking! As for Miss Brook, I'm not having a go as I've seen her act in a theatre show a while ago - a show in which to say that her performance was awful would be merely scratching the surface of the abyss that she calls her "talent". I'm willing to bet my last bottom dollar that she'll be equally bad in this production - hence why I won't bother seeing it...break a leg kiddo!..
- Ali Sichilongo, London, 17/09/2008 10:07
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