Self-professed “Expert in Everything”MusicalHannah Jayne, a nerd, won tickets to see the show & Juliet, an alternative take on Shakespeare’s tragic love story set to Britney Spears, she was excited, to say the least. She ended up spending three very uncomfortable hours crammed into a small seat.
She tried to move seats in the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, before the performance began but failed. “I looked everywhere in the sold-out show trying to find two seats to get more space, but I couldn’t,” she said. [your weight] something so personal to an usher – usually a 20-year-old on their first job – hoping they understand and let you move.” Jayne, a UK 22-year-old (US 18) had red welts on her waist and thighs while she was leaving. It was so painful that it made it difficult to concentrate on the musical.
This experience is much more common than one might think. Reddit threads are plentiful on r/PlusSize relating to the topic. The humiliation of getting to the theatre and realising you can’t fit into the Seat you paid good money. People have even predicted it on Twitter.Theatre is dead” owing to inaccessible seats while others vent about forgoing a hobby they love because it doesn’t Make space for their bodies. The anxiety of Squishing into small chairsChat forums such as Theatre Board and SeatPlan.
Many fat people solve this problem by sharing information on AllGo. This app is based in the United States and reviews public spaces for larger body sizes or on social media groups, such as those on Facebook. Fat Girls Travelling. People try to give as much information as possible from their own experiences, in order to make the experience easier for others. This means that fat people often have to spend more to get premium seats in the box and dress circle.
“I stopped going to gigs, because it was hurtful watching the person next me squirm or tut when I spilled into their chair.”
It seems unfair that visitors should have this responsibility. “I have a difficult relationship to my body. There are often long periods of self-loathing, and even harm. I stopped going for gigs because it was hurtful to watch the person next to me squirm and tut when my body spilled into their seat,” explains Damon*, a 27-year-old from London. For him, the act of approaching ground staff for wider seats is so taxing that he would rather watch his favourite artists perform on YouTube. Yes, in an ideal world we should have the courage to stand up for ourselves at all times but that’s far from reality.
Charlotte Weber, a psychotherapist specializing in body image, says it is unfair that people insist on self-confidence being the only solution. She says that it can be burdensome to ask for more space. However, validating a feeling is more important than trying to force someone to change. The question of “how do I make my venue more accessible?” has been raised many times by venues, but little has been done to change the institutional structure. Fat accessibility should be considered an exclusion issue, even though they offer limited space for people with disabilities and wheelchair users.
Sofie HagenFat comedian – Using her platform as a performer, she holds theatres responsible. Before her 2022 UK tour she added a clause into her contract that required every venue she performs at to update their online accessibility information to include seat measurements. She says, “In my current show I talk a lot on being too fat to sit in chairs and it felt strange for the audience to be uncomfortable while watching this.” The tour would be much shorter if I restricted myself to theatres that are able to accommodate fat people. So this is the bare minimum — people can make a conscious decision knowing the width, depth and height of the seats beforehand.”
It’s Over 25 locations across the UKWebsites now have seat accessibility and contact details to permit requests for alternative seating. This first step forces theatres to publicly acknowledge that their regular seats may not fit fat bodies – it’s the online equivalent of having boards that say “no fat people allowed”. Venues are encouraged to come up with a plan that maximizes space and doesn’t require plus-sized patrons to spend more to purchase multiple seats. To make room for a fat visitor, the Old Fire Station theatre, Oxford, UK, offers three seats that aren’t equipped with armrests.
Ben Jackson, who is the founder of SeatPlan, said that SeatPlan is looking at adding a new section on its website called “Body Type”. You can also filter your reviews to find the best seats suitable for you. Katie Greenall is an actor and theatre facilitator. She creates autobiographical plays about living in a fat body. She addresses this issue by hiring more seats or reducing the number inaccessible seats in the venues she performs. All these changes have financial implications for theatres. However, they will also bring in more people (and ultimately generate more revenue).
Statista projects that the UK’s plus-size market will be approximately £8 billion. £9 billionWhile it is at approximately $4.8 billion in the U.S., it is about $42 million there. $601 billionAs of 2022. These numbers show that fat people are willing to spend money when given the chance. The problem is that venues are not taking initiative, despite their efforts. While I understand that many of these theatres are significant in history, they were built when the average UK person was smaller. If they update a few seats in every price point, I’m sure they will sell out,” says Amanda McCullough, the managing editor of Fat Girls Guide.
Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), the largest theatre conglomerate of the country, has “Find champions“Appointed at every venue to aid with inclusion. I attempted to reach 10 theatres in the country. However, the size of the seats available is still a mystery. Some theatres, such as Lyceum and Savoy London, put me on automatic hold while others, like Theatre Royal Brighton didn’t respond to my emails at all. I spoke with the Young Vic press team for comments outside of ATG, but was ghosted when I specified. Fat accessibility.
Plus-sized people are often dismissed and asked to lose weight. This makes it a lifestyle issue rather than an inclusion issue that should be looked at institutionally.
Similarly, the O2 communications team declined to comment on their seats being too small – a problem that I experienced as a UK size 14 (U.S. size 10) as well. The following is a context: Average dress sizeThe country’s currency is the United Kingdom (16) and 12 U.S. (12). When it’s this difficult to get some of the country’s best known venues to share minimal information, it’s no surprise that fat folk feel marginalised despite being paying customers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in the U.S., has recently been established. Send out a surveyIt is important to know if passengers prefer smaller seats for flights within the country. It’s high time the entertainment industry does the same and addresses the inaccessibility that it breeds. Rebecca Alexander, founder of AllGo, explains that “for things to change, it is necessary for us to have advocacy from people of all sizes and not just fat folks.” Only then can venues grasp the gravity of this problem.”
Along with collective action, it’s also essential to change the way we look at fat bodies and to validate their access needs. Plus-sized people are often dismissed and asked to lose weight. This makes it an issue of lifestyle rather than inclusion. Fatness should not be viewed as something to be ashamed of. This will not change until there are more people who have to view recorded performances online or read plot summaries online.
