We Need to Talk about Fat Men in Theatre
by Tom Heald, Guest Columnist
When was the last time you went to the theatre and saw a fat man on stage? What about a fat man playing the lead? Were they, what you would call a traditional lead? Why is this? Bigger female and NB bodies do appear in theatre. For example, the recent production of ‘Legally Blonde’ produced by The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in London. This production completely reinvented the traditional aesthetic of the show.
Casting the valley girl, president of Delta Nu Elle Woods with Courtney Bowman, who is not only plus-sized but POC. This show was a great representation of plus-sized women, but what about men? Now, I know what you’re thinking, boo hoo the white man is moaning about their representation but as a plus-sized man in theatre it is irrevocably true that the industry seems to be incredibly biased against men with bigger bodies. Now don’t get me wrong I know that more can be done around female and NB bodies in theatre and their battle is nowhere near won, but at least these conversations are happening. I see no one talking about men.
Of course, some parts demand a bit of stereotypical aesthetic attractiveness. Kurt and Ram in ‘Heathers’ come immediately to mind as well as the titular Rocky in Rocky Horror Picture Show. as these parts need the actors to be in their pants for most of the show. It makes sense to cast performers who look like a Greek sculpture. Why should the rest of the theatrical parts have a physical description? Of course, there are roles designed to be played by bigger men, but when you think about these parts in any detail you will see that they always fit in one of two categories. Either the comic sidekick or the ‘unexpected lead. I guarantee if you think of a role in theatre, they fit into one of these categories.
For instance, take the comedy sidekick: Elder Cunningham, the slightly useless yet remarkably loveable Mormon ministry ends up being a faithful sidekick to Elder Price. Many of the jokes about thighs show seem to be at Cunningham’s expense and although there is no reference to his size in the script he is usually played by a fat guy. Lafoo is again the lovely but useless, sidekick/homoerotic lover of the villain Gaston and again even though there isn't a single reference to his weight is always played by a fat man, and even in a classical musical like ‘Guys and Dolls’ Nicely Nicely Johnson spends the show as the butt of everyone's jokes and is guess what always played by a big man.
Then the other category, the ‘unusual lead’: Beetlejuice, a literal demon who is eager to use a mourning girl to force his way into the land of the living. Again, no mention of his weight but still played by a big guy, Dewey Finn again spends the whole show being told he’s useless and is also consistently played by a fat man. Fat leading men also don't seem to be allowed to have a love interest. The only exception to this rule is Shrek. ‘Shrek is the closest thing to being a male romantic lead designed for a bigger man. He is allowed a love interest but only when Princess Fiona also becomes an ogre. (And let's face it, usually ends up being a skinny actress in a fat suit). Even the parts written as outcasts or socially awkward like Phantom and Evan Hansen still get played by men with chiseled jaw lines and piercing eyes.
So, I know what you’re thinking. It’s all very good moaning about it but what can we do about it? Well, I’m glad you asked. I have three suggestions for any casting director who may wish to cast a man in their show who looks like the majority of their male audience members.
1) ALL MEN CAN BE ROMANTIC NO MATTER WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE:
This one's quite self-explanatory but I wish that some producers could see that if 5.8 million men in the USA are married then it stands to reason that, men of all shapes and sizes can fall in love and that should be reflected on stage! One of my favorite examples of this in recent memory is the 2019 production of Falsettos produced by The Other Palace in London. In this production Joel Montague, a plus-sized performer (by theatre standards particularly when compared to his predecessor Brandon Uranowitz) played Mendel who has a very believable, loving, and in moments intimate relationship with Trina played by Laura Pitt Pulford. Because guess what? Big men can be romantic!
2) ALL MEN CAN BE SEXY NO MATTER WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE
A 2019 survey conducted by Planet Fitness magazine claims that 78% of women they spoke to claimed to find a ‘dad bod’ attractive and of that number 60% claimed they found Dad bods more attractive than six-packs. This trend is mirrored in the LGBTQ community as in the same survey it is revealed that 64% of gay men agreed. This shows that people can find attractiveness in men no matter how big they are so why don't we ever see this on stage? I genuinely believe that when Casting directors realize big men can be sexy it would have a huge impact on the body positive movement in the theatre community.
3) ALL MEN CAN HAVE THE ENERGY NO MATTER WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE
An argument against big men that really grinds my gears is that theatre is just far too physically demanding for anyone without a six-pack to manage. This is at the best idiotic and at the worst a flagrant revelation of your own prejudiced beliefs. Theatre should be a safe space for everyone to be able to both tell and see their stories no matter what they look like. There are so many plus-sized performers who can move with incredible energy. People like Lizzo, Kaycee Stroh, and Bonnie Milligan are representing plus-sized women in dynamic and energetic roles in theatre and music in general. So where are the men?
I know this is an issue that will not be resolved overnight. I know a lot of people might not even see this as an issue, but maybe if any casting directors happen upon this, they may just keep in their mind that they might like to go to the theatre and see someone that looks like them.