Scaredy Fat – Dublin Fringe Festival – Review
Colm McCready & SkelpieLimmer

PERFORMANCES  – 10 – 16 September 21:00, €14/€12
Venue – Smock Alley Theatre – Boys’ School
Duration – 60mins

Our host for the evening, Colm McCready or ‘Scaredy Fat’, arrives on stage looking dazzling in a red dress and high heels. There is a screen on one side of the stage, along with a cinema chair. On the other side of the stage is a small portable TV and a variety of VHS cassette cases. A typical cinema advert for ‘treats in the lobby’ appears on the screen and Colm joins in with it, singing along until the image on the screen starts to repeat and go out of control! At this point, Colm starts to deliver his unorthodox tale of his teenage years spent in Antrim.

This is a one-man show in the Boys’ School in Smock Alley. This is the tale of Colm McCready’s childhood and the horror movies that informed his ‘sexual awakening’! Colm’s family moved to Skerry, Antrim while he was young. As a location for a young gay man to grow up, it does not sound ideal. His problems were compounded by his battle with calories, which has been ongoing throughout his life.

While it is a one-man show, there is another character that appears on screen, taunting and abusing Colm. You have heard of Count Dracula, but now you meet an even scarier individual; Count Calories! He appears several times during the production, laughing with manic glee. There are also several phone calls, which mimic the famous opening scene from Scream. We also hear other prerecorded voices of his family and friends.

The films that Colm fell in love with are all relatively mainstream horror movies from the 70s and 80s. These include the Sissy Spacek classic Carrie, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, I Know What You Did Last Summer and the little-known animation Monster House. There are many reasons for his love of these particular films, from crushes on the main actors to the style and substance of the films themselves. There is also a discussion on the role of overweight individuals in horror films, who are either the first to die or the murderers themselves!

Colm’s delivery is slightly manic throughout, as he beams with euphoric energy and cackles with laughter. He is wild and unashamedly camp and fun, and it’s all performed in an over-the-top fashion! You know it from the first moment he arrives on stage and there is little change throughout. This production certainly won’t be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a light-hearted view of a difficult childhood combined with a horror movie obsession, then look no further.

Image: Fergus Wachala Kelly