Written and performed by Reilly O’Shaughnessy, Belly is a new play heading to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
“Belly is a one-person play about girls, eating, grief and control. Told through an interwoven stories of three women across one family: Ellie, a high-school swimmer groomed into an eating disorder by a well-meaning, incredibly harmful coach; Katie, her pregnant aunt, trying to “do everything right” for her baby inside of wellness culture and medical fatphobia; and Susan, Katie’s mother, newly widowed and learning how to live with grief and appetite in an empty house. Performed by a single actor, the piece moves between sharp, funny, conversational monologues and scenes and more heightened, poetic sequences.”
Where: Sprout Studio at Greenside @ George Street
When: 7-29 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/belly
What can you tell us about your show? What is it about and where did the idea come from?
Belly is a one-person play about girls, appetite, grief, and control told through three generations of women navigating caring for their bodies in systems that were never built for them.
In 2021, I broke my leg and found out I had a rare bone tumor. It was in my femur, tucked up high into the hip socket, where it had been quietly growing for some time. I had surgery followed by months of pain followed by another surgery. I was on crutches for almost three years.
And for the first time in my life, I couldn’t use any of my old control-and-manage strategies. No sneaking to the bathroom to get rid of breakfast. No overexercising. No skipping meals under the guise of being “too busy.” My eating disorder, which had always been adaptive and shape-shifting, lost its entire vocabulary almost overnight.
So I started eating, and then I started writing. This play has come in tandem with my own recovery, my experience supporting others with theirs, and my commitment to a world free of anti-fat bias and body terrorism.
How would you sell it to audiences in one paragraph?
Ellie wants to swim in college, Katie wants a healthy baby, and Susan wants her husband to be alive. This play is for anyone who has ever felt at war with their body, or has witnessed someone they love struggle inside of theirs. It’s for people craving stories that are emotionally precise, a little bit funny, and deeply human.
Do you enjoy participating in the Fringe? And do you have any moments you particularly remember?
Last year was the first time I adventured to the Fringe as an audience member, and it was one of my favorite weeks of my life. I even got a tattoo about it! I’m so excited to participate as a performer this year, and I have a feeling that even though it is my first Fringe, it will certainly not be my last.
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
Being in the month-long energy of live performance. My day-to-day as an actor is pretty isolated – from self-tapes to social media to optimized rehearsal schedules, I am often alone even when I am booked and busy! Spending an entire month living in a dorm with other people who have worked SO hard to bring their work to this incredible festival, running around from show to show, laughing over a beverage in the courtyard, learning more about myself as a performer and artist… It honestly sounds like a dream come true.
What’s next for the show?
We shall see! We certainly have a little victory lap planned for Los Angeles, but are feeling excited to find and create new opportunities through being at the Fringe this summer. Adelaide 2027? Rights optioned for a limited series? Hollywood Fringe? 👀👀👀