Packed with big laughs and biting humour, Fat Joke is willing to go there, at the Anvil Theatre January 31 to February 2
Part illustrated lecture, part standup comedy, Cheyenne Rouleau’s show rips into fat shaming

Fat Joke, starring Cheyenne Rouleau. Photo by Jesse Ray
Neworld Theatre’s Fat Joke is at the Anvil Theatre from January 31 to February 2
THEATRE SCHOOLS, THE BMI, and casting auditions: nothing is out of bounds in Cheyenne Rouleau’s enjoyable and thought-provoking Fat Joke, a show that flips easily between sharp laughs and darker reflections.
If you missed the Cultch premiere of this one-person mix of mashup of standup comedy, theatrical monologue, and illustrated TED X Talk (redubbed here “TEDXXXXL Talk”), you’re in luck: it’s returning for a brief run at the Anvil Theatre in New Westminster. And after seeing it, you might not see issues around weight and fatphobia ever in the same way again. (You can read Stir’s review of it here.)
Bouncing between such pop-culture touchstones as Winnie the Pooh, Mr. Snuffleupagus, the Hamburglar, and Jared from Subway, Rouleau also digs into some damning research and some brutally honest anecdotes—think cringe-inducing casting calls and the trauma of being picked last in gym class.
A note that Rouleau and her team are part of a growing movement using the word “fat” as a simple descriptive, akin to adjectives like “short” or “tall”; it’s becoming a term of political protest that fights against the medicalization of fatness as a disease.
And political this show is—but never dauntingly so. Some of the biggest laughs involve pun counters, as well as elaborate flow charts that explain how to react to problematic jokes. They’re hilarious, but also a nod to how uncomfortable we are about talking about this subject matter—and how revolutionary Rouleau’s show actually is.

Fat Joke, starring Cheyenne Rouleau. Photo by Jesse Ray
Janet Smith is cofounder and editorial director of Stir. She is an award-winning arts journalist who has spent more than two decades immersed in Vancouver’s dance, screen, design, theatre, music, opera, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.
Related Articles
At the Firehall Arts Centre, Cree theatre artist journeys through her childhood memories, incorporating cheeky crowd work
All-ages show by Cause & Effect Circus incorporates high-level skills, inventive lighting, and fun sound effects
Justin Anthony directs the show about a group of survivors navigating the aftermath of a cataclysmic event
Howard Dai’s Dream Machine pulls inspiration from Taiwanese game shows, while Paige Louter’s Nod acknowledges chronic fatigue
1 Santosh Santosh 2 Go touches on the model minority myth with hilarity and heart
Set in Pacific Theatre’s activity room, play by Katherine Gauthier leans into realism with depth of character and lasting intensity
Newest production to feature Sound the Alarm’s lineup of seasoned singers mines soundtracks of Disney and Hollywood classics
The violinist’s Fantasy Vignettes interweaves Baroque music, costume changes, and sewing machines
On the BMO Mainstage, director Dean Paul Gibson puts an ’80s spin on this resonant tale of young love
Aussie troupe Gravity & Other Myths’ stripped-down spectacle has been a hit around the world
In Hair Hair Everywhere, Shabnam debates whether or not she should shave
In girl power–fuelled show, performers channel sounds of Beyoncé, Lily Allen, and more in turning the tables on doomed relationships
In Inner Elder at the Firehall Arts Centre, the Calgary-based theatre veteran draws on more than three decades of Indigenous clowning experience
Moving into ambitious new territory, the company meets the many challenges of the Broadway classic and its still-relevant message
Arts Club play edges true-life story of Princess Di hospice visit into unexpected transcendent realm
All is not as it seems as two of Shakespeare’s most tumultuous couples navigate secret love and mistaken identities
With its flared costumes and feisty performances, Metro Theatre’s production of a Rice and Lloyd Webber favourite offers a quirkily fun tour of musical genres
As storylines switch between playwrights and the characters they’ve created, this challenging Zee Zee Theatre production spotlights hidden disparities separating two best friends
Fast-rising Filipino-Canadian actor and singer-songwriter takes the titular role in a rendition set in a 1970s variety show
The transition follows her departure from Music on Main, where she served as artistic planning and operations manager for seven years
Playwright Katherine Gauthier’s fly-on-the-wall production at Pacific Theatre follows five people in a group therapy session as they exchange intimate thoughts
City council throws support behind feasibility study’s call for world-class mid-size venue and recital hall
Wild treadmill antics, nostalgic-’90s circus, and new work by the likes of Corey Payette, Carmen Aguirre, Anais West, Veda Hille, and Maiko Yamamoto
Zahida Rahemtulla’s new play reflects three versions of what it meant to hold things together during the 2016 refugee resettlement initiative
Western Gold Theatre finds unique paths through the mysteries of Caryl Churchill’s innovative play on aging and dying
At Progress Lab 1422, a pair of tracks feature multidisciplinary works by Howard Dai, Paige Louter, Cameron Peal, and more
Roster also includes the troupe’s 40th panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, plus Neil Simon, Lend Me a Tenor, Shakespeare in Love, and more
Ten episodes feature play excerpts and interviews with emerging theatre artists who identify with D/disability
Annual accolade honours an individual who has significantly enriched Metro Vancouver’s arts and culture community
Seventy years after the classic musical’s debut, its theme of love transcending hate continues to inspire performers and audiences