Becoming Hattie

Proteus Theatre Company presents
Becoming Hattie

For ages 15 years+

It's 1974 and 8-year-old Jo, is snuggled up on the settee in her flammable polyester nightie, watching the family’s first colour TV. Eating arctic roll and reading 'Jackie' magazine, she is idly glancing at the telly when Sykes comes on. Jo is suddenly riveted. Her spoon slips from her hand, her mouth drops open and her artic roll slips from the plate and on to the floor: hundreds and thousands, a cascade of sugary artificial colourants, rain all over the wool mix carpet. There'll be hell to pay tomorrow when her mum hoovers the house. There, on the screen, is a woman unlike anyone Jo has ever seen, a woman unlike anyone else on TV. Jo knows, in that moment, the woman before her is uniquely like the woman she herself will become.

That woman is Hattie Jacques.

Forty years later, and Jo is indeed walking in the footsteps of her idol. Despite the uncertainty, the periods of unemployment, the agent who seems to care more about raking in a quick buck than advancing her career, Jo is an actress. But is there a place for her in tv, film or theatre? Why does she only get cast as the nurse, never the surgeon? Why is she always the council estate mum in Casualty with the dodgy kid, the high pony tail and the pack of pit bulls? Why is she too fat to play Lady Macbeth? Why does she have a cupboard full of tabards? Could it be that nothing changed for women like Jo since Hattie did Carry On?

Thoughtful, funny, warm and nostalgic, this is an affectionate look at the life and career of a remarkable woman and a witty, caustic look at modern life in show business and its cultural attitudes toward larger women, a world where Simon Russell Beale can play an XXL Hamlet, but lead roles are non-existent for larger actresses.

Audiences say...

“Brilliant - engaging, emotional and gutsy” “ Ashley was a tour de force - funny moving and truly memorable”

“Ashley was amazing! Her passion and energy were super-charged and she took us on a rollercoaster of emotions. The writing and talent of the show was incredible - very inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable”

“Very powerful and moving, wonderful performance”