A play telling the story of 1 man’s battle with weight problems, MANikin, will return to the stage in August – with an opportunity for MAN v FAT members to get pleasure from discounted tickets!
Set within the small city of Ellon and delivered with basic Scottish humour, Fraser Patterson wrestles together with his thoughts and physique in his battle with enjoying the bit-part-role of The Large Man.
Brutal playground initiation evolves into real-world tribulation in a society riddled with stigma and prejudice.
MANikin is an unflinching portrait of a person’s battle with weight problems and physique picture within the modern-day, elevating consciousness concerning the points and influence surrounding male weight problems, physique picture and psychological well being, providing audiences a novel and compelling perspective on a subject that impacts hundreds of thousands worldwide however is commonly missed.
Particulars of the play’s performances
Fri seventh Aug – Sat fifteenth August (Excl. Tues eleventh )
6pm (Doorways 5:30pm / Length: 60 Minutes)
Hibernian Supporters Membership – 11 Sunnyside, EH7 5RA
Ticket Hyperlink: https://manikin.eventbrite.co.uk
Promo code: MANVSFAT
We caught up with Co-Creative Director of Saltire Sky and Author of MANikin, Nathan Scott-Dunn to search out out extra.
1) Inform us a bit extra concerning the play and the way it got here to be?
MANikin began from conversations inside the firm about weight problems, masculinity and the experiences that many people, or individuals near us, had lived by way of. We wished to create one thing trustworthy that explored these points by way of a Scottish working-class lens, whereas nonetheless being entertaining, stuffed with humour and coronary heart.
The event course of concerned workshops, Studying & Growth classes and conversations with organisations together with Weight problems UK earlier than later working alongside the British Weight problems Society. Making a secure and supportive atmosphere within the room was extremely necessary to us as a result of the fabric is private and delicate for everybody concerned.
We didn’t wish to merely retell experiences or create one thing rooted in judgement. The purpose was to strategy the topic with curiosity, empathy and honesty, permitting audiences to replicate on their very own attitudes and experiences.
We additionally wished the present to behave as a dialog starter, significantly round males’s psychological well being and physique picture, that are topics many individuals nonetheless battle to talk overtly about.
From that got here a one-man play about rising up larger in Scotland, and about looking for self-worth, connection and hope in a world that may typically really feel isolating. Alongside the efficiency, we additionally present audiences with entry to assist and aftercare sources by way of the organisations concerned within the venture.
2) How massive a problem do you are feeling the matters within the play are for males at the moment?
The truth that we’re nonetheless having these conversations exhibits simply how necessary these points stay.
Whereas matters corresponding to psychological well being, physique picture and weight problems are receiving extra consideration than they did a decade in the past, many males nonetheless battle to talk overtly about their experiences.
As artists, we really feel a accountability to problem stigma and provides area to voices which might be typically missed. The themes in MANikin have an effect on much more individuals than we typically realise, significantly when you think about the overlap between physique picture, poverty, psychological well being and social isolation.
Social media has amplified a few of these pressures. Younger males are more and more uncovered to unrealistic expectations round look, health and success, whereas traits corresponding to “looksmaxxing” can reinforce the concept self price is tied to the way you look.
On the similar time, conversations round weight reduction drugs have highlighted how individuals dwelling with weight problems can face judgement whatever the selections they make of their well being journey.
What us when creating MANikin was exploring the human expertise behind the statistics. Weight problems is never nearly meals or train. It’s typically linked to confidence, psychological well being, household circumstances, poverty and alternative. These are the conversations we felt wanted to be explored by way of the play.
3) How has the play been obtained by the boys who’ve seen it and are you aware of anybody that it’s supplied a constructive consequence for?
The response from males has been extremely shifting. One of the rewarding elements of the manufacturing has been the conversations that occur after the efficiency.
Many viewers members have shared deeply private experiences regarding physique picture, bullying, psychological well being and their relationship with meals, typically telling us that they’d by no means spoken about these items publicly earlier than.
What has been significantly putting is that the play has resonated past the individuals we initially anticipated. We’ve heard from fathers, sons and companions, but additionally from moms who recognised components of Fraser’s story within the experiences of their very own kids.
I feel the rationale the play connects is as a result of Fraser is an everyman. His story is particular, however the emotions of disgrace, isolation, frustration and hope are common. Audiences recognise themselves, or somebody they love, in him.
Essentially the most constructive consequence has merely been creating area for conversations that may not in any other case occur. By means of our partnership with weight problems organisations, audiences additionally go away with data and assist sources, serving to to make sure that the dialog continues lengthy after the efficiency has ended.
4) How massive a task can sport and the ability of neighborhood connection play in fixing lots of the points dealing with males at present?
For me personally, sport and health fully modified my life. I went from 113kg to 70kg by way of changing into energetic, going to the fitness center and constructing more healthy routines. However extra importantly than the bodily transformation, it modified my mindset and confidence. It opened my eyes to health in a very totally different approach.
One of many largest issues I realised is that motion, sport and neighborhood can provide individuals objective, routine and connection, particularly males who could battle to speak overtly about how they’re feeling. Usually the toughest half is just discovering an atmosphere the place you are feeling welcome and never judged.
That’s why organisations and neighborhood teams that create secure, supportive areas are so necessary. They permit individuals to start or maintain a well being journey with out disgrace. Confidence grows from feeling included and inspired.
On the similar time, I feel entry to well being and health data needs to be much more open and accessible to everybody. For many individuals, particularly working-class communities, it may possibly nonetheless really feel intimidating, costly or complicated to know the place to start.
Neighborhood-led areas and conversations may also help take away a few of these limitations and remind those who enhancing your well being shouldn’t be about perfection, it’s about assist, consistency and connection.
5) Males’s well being is rising to the highest of the information agenda on the again of the English authorities’s Males’s Well being Technique. Should you may prioritise three areas of males’s well being to be tackled, what would they be and why?
The primary can be prevention by way of schooling. We have to transfer past fast fixes and assist individuals perceive well being in a extra holistic approach from an early age. Higher schooling round vitamin, train, psychological wellbeing and physique picture would enable individuals to make knowledgeable choices earlier than issues develop into extra critical.
The second can be psychological well being. Whereas progress has been made, too many males nonetheless really feel unable to ask for assist or speak overtly about what they’re experiencing. We have to create extra areas the place these conversations can occur with out disgrace or judgement. You can not tackle an issue that individuals really feel unable to discuss.
The third can be entry to health and bodily exercise. My very own well being journey confirmed me how transformative motion may be for each bodily and psychological wellbeing. Nonetheless, entry stays a problem for many individuals because of price, confidence or lack of native alternatives. Neighborhood initiatives corresponding to MAN v FAT exhibit what can occur when persons are given assist, encouragement and a way of belonging.
MANikin was nominated on the Scottish Theatre Awards 2023 for Finest Scottish Manufacturing and the Vibrant Spark Award for Rising Expertise alongside runner-up at that years Sit-Up Awards for social influence and received Finest Drama from social media group, The Derek Awards in its 2024 return season.
Neighborhood bonds have been ever-present with MANikin; collaborating with Thrive Arts to carry out and converse at occasions relating to system change and the function of the humanities alongside working with representatives from NHS Lothian, Edinburgh Well being and Social Care Partnership, EVOC and talking on the Psychological Well being Discussion board bringing the problems Saltire Sky productions deal with to mild.
