Bad Fatty Review

At the heart of Stuart Thomas’ merciless self-mockery is a message any audience can get behind. The desire to be so slim you can slip down a drain and meet the teenage mutant ninja turtles. 

In a tirade of gags and one-liners, Thomas presents his self-deprecating and brutal approach to self-love. Taking his audience through the joys and challenges of being Welsh, queer and fat, his work-in-progress show is cheerful and energetic. It is driven by his central premise that there are two types of fat people; ‘good fatties’ who are actively trying to lose weight and hate themselves as society requires, and ‘bad fatties’ who rebelliously do neither. He urges his audience to celebrate the useful contributions to society the plus-sized friend can make, from furniture-strength testing to public transport guards. 

With comedy characterised by sharp scorn for Slimming World, the term ‘food addiction’ (in which his dealer takes Nectar points) and all things that denigrate the plus-sized body, he makes the insightful hat tip to the women who trailblazed this space before him and must navigate it with more peril than Thomas’ own frivolity. This was refreshing, as many of us know the persona of the cuddly, loveable rogue is not a luxury afforded to everyone. 

While a few of the jokes will benefit from more refining as Thomas develops this show up from some of his thinner stereotypes, his show delivered big heart and big laughs. 

You’ll never look at a lava lamp the same way again. 

C. E. Collins