Stevey Hunter as Juliet. Photo by Daniel. Wittnebel.
Stevey Hunter’s play Fat Juliet is a contemporary reimagining of William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, which explores some of what is inherently problematic about this iconic relationship, but also examines Juliet through the lens of a young girl struggling to love herself and accept her body the way it is. This co-production between Shakespeare By the Sea and Eastern Front Theatre runs at Alderney Landing Theatre until March 29th, 2025 before heading up to the Highland Arts Theatre in Sydney April 9th to the 12th.
Everything about Fat Juliet, from the set by Brenda Duran, to the costumes by Everette Fournier, to the adorable illustrations by Mollie Cronin work together to create a very specific teenage girl aesthetic. This Juliet goes to the Verona Mall and beelines directly to Claire’s. Everything is pink, fuzzy, fluttery, flouncy, and demure. Even the play’s construction, beginning with a montage of past filmed Romeos and Juliets is reminiscent of a collage or a scrapbook that a teenager might make of their favourite movie star or band. The use of music (Jackson Fairfax-Perry) and lip synchs also contributes to the ‘sleepover romp’ vibe where we are able to see glimpses of Juliet as both carefree and happy with her friends. Juliet in all these ways is typical to the way that teenaged girls are often presented in media. What sets her apart, not from her real life peers, but from the Hollywood version of them, is that she is fat. This has a profoundly isolating impact on Juliet.
At the beginning of the play we see that her two closest friends are both older than her. Angel, played by Lou Campbell, is her former babysitter, and Tybalt, played by Nathan Simmons, is her cousin. Her parents throw her a lavish Sweet Sixteen birthday party, but she doesn’t want to attend. When she does, we see her standing awkward and alone before locking eyes on a cute boy she’s never seen before and who wasn’t invited. There’s a Kate McKinnon quote from The Graham Norton Show where she explains how she came up with her Justin Bieber impression on Saturday Night Live saying, “you wanna look like you’ve done something wrong, but it’s cute,” and I was reminded of this the moment Peter Sarty flashed his coy half smile as Romeo last night. He comes in and he sweeps Juliet off her feet, both because he can be incredibly charming and seemingly emotionally vulnerable (he sings to her because, of course, he’s in a band), but also because Juliet isn’t used to getting this kind of romantic attention from anyone, except the unseen Paris, who she finds revolting.
From the beginning we see that Juliet doesn’t trust that Romeo’s love for her is genuine, because she doesn’t have the confidence that someone who is wealthy and charming and attractive could find her to be just as charming and attractive too. In Shakespeare’s play Rosaline is mentioned as Romeo’s initial infatuation and the impetus for him to attend the Capulet’s gathering when he knows he isn’t supposed to be there. In Fat Juliet, although unseen, Rosaline is ever-present in Romeo’s life, a continuous buzzing of his cell phone in his pocket that provides Juliet with a flashing red flag, which she ignores because she is in love with the feeling that he gives her when he is present, and she worries that without him, she will never feel that intoxicating feeling again. If loving Romeo means pushing Angel and Tybalt away… Juliet feels like this is a sacrifice that she has to make for true love.
Hunter uses a mixture of contemporary speak and original Shakespearean text to bring their story to life and the actors oscillate between realistic acting styles, heightened Shakespearean acting styles, and being more heightened hyper teenagers breaking out into fun dances (choreography by Zomi Tombing). Hunter has really captured so much that is true about the way older teenagers speak, and the ways in which they attempt to relate to one another and better understand themselves. I found that I really loved the moments where especially Angel, Juliet, and Tybalt spoke in modern dialogue with one another and leaned into the realism of their relationships as two cousins and the older cousin’s friend. For me the Shakespearean language seems to be akin to the moment in a musical when characters break out into song: when plain words can no longer express how you feel, you sing, when singing is no longer sufficient, you dance. I found the Shakespearean language worked so well as a metaphor for the experience of falling in love, everything between Romeo and Juliet being heightened, and otherworldly, and I wondered if it might further set their experience apart if they were the only two who ever spoke in this way, and only when together or when speaking about the other privately?
The cast all have delightful chemistry with one another. Nathan Simmons really captures the dynamic of a protective older cousin who wants to be friends with Juliet, but also doesn’t want her to live in his eighteen year old world yet, because it’s not always one that he feels would be safe for her. Lou Campbell brings a similar energy to Angel, trying to coax Juliet out of her shell but also keep her from getting her heart broken. Peter Sarty and Stevey Hunter really shine especially brightly as Romeo and Juliet. When they start reciting their lines from Romeo and Juliet, it seems effortless. Sarty has an overt polished suaveness that we see in Romeo as being potentially dangerous, but Hunter is seamlessly endearing and perpetually loveable. The audience wants Juliet to love herself as much as they already do; Romeo be damned.
Kat McCormack directs the piece and she keeps the pacing quick and frenetic, the energy hyped, and further ensures that everything about the play contributes to this overall ambiance of a hyper-feminized cozy, cutesy veneer containing an explosion of profound and complex emotions inside it.
I was definitely once the sixteen year old who refused to wear her bathing suit without the biggest t-shirt over it if there were other teenagers around. We live in a society that treats being fat with failure, and those messages, especially for girls, start when we are very, very, young. It is not a failure. I have seen quite a few productions of Romeo and Juliet, I have seen a lot of Shakespeare plays. Hunter is 100% correct when they point out that the actor playing the ingenue is (almost) never fat. Fat Juliet is an important counterpoint to and commentary on Romeo and Juliet, one that I think will encourage young people to look at Shakespeare’s play more critically. The red flags in Sarty’s Romeo are all present to some degree in the original text as well. We never really get to know Shakespeare’s Juliet beyond being the object that Romeo desires. Here, Hunter has given us a Juliet that struggles against defining herself only within the context of Romeo, and that the audience rallies around and wants to see take control of her own life and triumph for her own sake, instead of getting swept up by the chaos, and the tragedy, of impetuous passion.
Fat Juliet opens at Alderney Landing Theatre (2 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth) on March 20th and runs there until the 29th. Tickets range in price from $20.00 to $40.00 on a PWYC scale. If pricing is still a barrier for you email Kat at Kat@EasternFrontTheatre.com. Tickets can be puchased online here. The show runs Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30pm with 1:00pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday. The play runs for approximately 90 minutes and is General Admission.
Accessibility Notes from Eastern Front Theatre:
COVID
Masks are available on site and encouraged/appreciated but not required. Seating is by general admission and social distancing may not be possible.
Transit Access
The Halifax Transit Dartmouth Ferry arrives directly at Alderney Landing, and Alderney Gate is serviced by Halifax Transit buses #5, 6+, 53, 54, 55, 62, 158, 159, 161, 165, 168+.
Physical Access
The Theatre is on the second level of Alderney Landing, accessible by passenger elevator and stairs. Parking is available onsite, with curbside dropoff and automatic doors at the main entrance to the building. Alderney Landing is connected to Alderney Gate by pedway, accessible by elevator, escalator and stairs.
Seating
Fixed stadium seats fold down and are 16.5 inches deep and 20 inches wide from the inside of each (shared) armrest. Front row seating is on the same level as the entrance and can be reserved in advance by emailing info@EasternFrontTheatre.com. There are stairs leading to the rest of the rows, 7 inches high and 17 inches deep. There is no handrail. Armless chairs are available upon request and will be placed in the front row, they are 16 inches deep and 15.5 inches wide. For assistance, or to request priority seating before the house is opened, please check in with EFT Staff or Volunteers.
Bathrooms
There are two all gender bathrooms in the rotunda lobby, one with toilet stalls only, and one with toilet stalls and urinals. Both bathrooms are equipped with various hygiene products.
Environmental Sensitivities
We aim to provide a scent-free environment, and make every effort to use products that are scent-free where possible (including alcohol-based hand sanitizer). We encourage all patrons to be mindful of the effects of strong scents, and ask that patrons avoid wearing or using scented personal products while onsite.
If you have any questions about the accessibility measures in place, please email us at info@easternfronttheatre.com.
Fat Juliet runs at the Highland Arts Theatre in Sydney, Nova Scotia (40 Bentinck Street) from April 9th to 13th at 7:30pm and April 13th at 2:00pm. Tickets are $17.00 for those 23 and under, and $29.00 for those older than 23. You can purchase tickets online here, or at the Box Office at 40 Bentinck Street, or by calling 902.565.3637.
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