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Fat and fabulous

Fat and fabulous What: Absolutely Fabulous ‘Fat’ Who: Bushwoman Productions Where: MY Place When: Jan.
Fat and fabulous

What: Absolutely Fabulous ‘Fat’

Who: Bushwoman Productions

Where: MY Place

When: Jan. 17-19

Here’s a story most of us women can relate to, and it’s rather timely following the fallout of the festive season’s excesses. It’s a tale simply called Fat, about a woman frantic to lose weight.

Neurotic PR executive, Edina Monsoon, wants to peel off the pounds fast for a slim ex-model friend is coming to town. The subsequent relationships with people around her, including her champagne-loving, man-chasing best friend and straight-laced daughter, provide a glimpse of hilarious reality on the perils of getting older and wider.

Fat is a locally produced play created by Bushwoman Productions and directed by local stage legend, Michele Bush. The comedy hit is based on an episode of the British TV sitcom, Absolutely Fabulous, by Jennifer Saunders, a show which Bush said she just had to transfer to the theatre.

"I’ve always been told I look like Edina and I love British humour. It’s less conservative and more outrageous, which is totally my style," she said. "A play that embraces drinking and smoking along with losing weight and the quest to keep healthy is so perfect for Whistler," Bush added.

This is the second showing of Fat, which was a sell-out success last November. Ticket sales are strong for these encore performances – Millennium Place box office expects a full house yet again.

For fans of the small screen version, the script has been altered to include classic lines from other Ab Fab episodes and a wicked Whistler twist thrown in for good measure. For those not familiar with the show, Bush suggests renting the series on video to give you an insight into these ladies’ inner turmoil.

"It helps to have seen the TV show. Some people couldn’t work out why others in the audience were laughing so hard. These characters are more of a riot if you know a bit about them."

The rest of the cast were handpicked by Bush and most are friends from her days with the Whistler Players acting group.

"A lot of us perform murder mysteries or take on special characters for corporate events together, and if you want to go even further back, a bunch of us did a stage version of Fawlty Towers about 15 years ago, so we gel well," she said.

So well in fact that some of them find it hard to keep out of character.

"I feel like I’m becoming Edina these days," said Bush. "My boyfriend rolls his eyes and says you don’t have to be her 24 hours a day but I can’t help it, every time the cast catch up it’s all ‘sweetie darlings’ and air kisses."

Bush strongly encourages the audience to dress up for the occasion in their full Ab Fabulous finery. Many people did so for the last show adding a real interactive atmosphere.

For tickets call MY Place at 604-935-8418.