Presented by University of Melbourne Arts and Culture.
Effortless power vocals produce queer joy in this unapologetically explicit love letter from Milo Hartill
Review by Caitlin A. Kearney
Guild Theatre (Melbourne)
3rd February – 6th February
Tickets: https://www.umac.melbourne/whats-on/black-fat-and-f-gy
Type: Funny, irreverent, empowering, fast-paced
If you liked: Hot Brown Honey, Anisa Nandaula, Betty Grumble
Much is said of queer joy being an act of resistance in and of itself, but for this reviewer there is a particularly morish quality born of the two being inextricably woven together in a really fun night. That’s what you have to look forward to in actor, model, comedian, and heaven-sent singer Milo Hartill’s brand new cabaret Black, Fat and F**gy.
The assumption of an identity embraced is at the forefront of Hartill’s practice; as they will tell you, they love themselves not in spite of their blackness, fatness, or f**giness, but because of it. This will be all the more impressive to you if you are or have ever been a fellow drama school inpatient, but it’s true that someone can adore themselves without ever taking themselves even the slightest bit too seriously. That’s what makes this show so enjoyable.
Many of the autobiographical stories you’ll hear would likely be far more sombre if Hartill did not have a black belt in good-natured (and often ridiculous) self-deprecation. Black, Fat and F**gy is an unapologetically explicit love letter to people of colour, fatness, and the queer community, and Hartill is a Melburnian who seemed sincerely delighted to be home to deliver their letter to their nearest and dearest in person.
Looking radiant against a backdrop of tongue-in-cheek (albeit pretty) rainbow lighting, you might not have known that Hartill and their wonderful pianist Lucy O’Brien had just come off the red-eye from Perth if they hadn’t had so many good tales to tell from their time there. Hartill speaks to the audience with honey-buttery warmth, making us feel at home at all times despite the dreaded audience interaction (don’t worry, it’s all love).
When they’re not speaking, Hartill is just wowing us with seemingly effortless power vocals, and all in aid of poking fun at themselves, us, the uninvited touchers of black hair, unfortunate men, and whoever’s left after that. With lyrics deftly adapted for the themes of the show, highlights include Chaka Khan’s I’m Every Woman, Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing, and Frank Sinatra’s Somethin’ Stupid. The strong comedic bluetooth connection between Hartill and O’Brien is apparent throughout.
One of the best things about performing artists having an online presence when they’re out-and-proud in any way at all is that they WILL grab ahold of their right of reply in their home medium and ride it until the wheels come off. Hartill’s engagement with social media has armed them to the back teeth with comments and private messages from the least sophisticated of critics- the obscene, the odd, and the downright absurd all have a place for hearty ridicule in this show. The audience are so onboard for this, they’ve got a deluxe cabin with an oceanview porthole.
If you’re looking for one act of scrumptiously irreverent (profane) chicken soup for the soul, look no further – and it no doubt helps to be black and/or fat and/or f**gy, but it’s by no means required.
THEATRE THOUGHT: How are you honouring the things that make you who you are?
Milo Hartill: Black, Fat & F**gy is playing at the Guild Theatre (University of Melbourne Arts and Culture Building) from 3rd February until 6th February 2025.
