“Living with mental health has gifted me with a dark sense of humour that I at times inject into my posts, which can be raw, personal and honest, and people have told me it helps, which is amazing.”
What started as a personal diary of food cravings and weight-loss goals on a Facebook blog, From Phat to Phabulous, has now evolved into something much larger. North Belfast woman Nuala Moore is bringing her own life-affirming story to the stage in a brand-new play, My Phat Life, produced by the award-winning Brassneck Theatre Company and starring Caroline Curran.
The play, which delves into the complexities of life, love, loss, body image, and self-acceptance, is a project born from a desire to connect with others.
For Nuala, the inspiration for the play was simple: she wanted to make the invisible visible.
“I’ve always been interested in writing and storytelling as a way to connect with people,” Nuala told Belfast Live.
“I’ve been open over the years about my relationship with my weight, body image and mental health and thought, how can I explain these feelings to someone who doesn’t have the same experiences as me, in a way they will understand, and that’s when I had the idea- I can show them.
“A lot of us share the same thoughts, feelings and struggles. I wanted to tell a story so that people can see they aren’t alone.”
The blog’s backstory is equally personal. It began after the passing of Nuala’s beloved Grandad, a time when she was struggling to cope with grief. Rather than succumbing to the loss, she directed her energy into fitness, with her sister encouraging her to document the journey online.
Reflecting on that time of her life when her grandad passed away, Nuala said: “I felt like I was going to lose my mind. Rather than drown in grief, I channelled my focus and energy into getting fit and thin, going “From Phat to Phabulous”.
“Weight loss came with a restrictive diet and cravings! I’d send dramatic updates to my family group chat about being tired and hungry, detailing how I’d love to eat rice wrapped in bread, deep-fried in fat, and dipped in curry, and my sister encouraged me to document it online in a blog.”
What began as a diary about restrictive diets and the pursuit of a size 10 has morphed into a vibrant community.
“It slowly turned into a beautiful online community of people supporting me as I talked about my journey through life and how hard it is to be a living, breathing person sometimes. I felt like it was my self-assigned duty to motivate people and show them, “If I can, you can too!” but, despite the weight, whether it’s on or off, people’s support remains unchanged.
“Now, the blog feels more natural and relatable because the conversation is about day-to-day life and everything in between, from memes to TV shows, going for a walk with the dog and being “from phat to phabulous” – less concerned about weight and more focused on being your absolute phabulous self! Nuala adds
Putting such personal experiences on public display is a daunting prospect, but Nuala feels the impact is worth it.
“Yes, I feel vulnerable because I am exposing myself to online criticism and sometimes cruelty, but that’s only a small percentage, which the positives more than outweigh, said Nuala.
“Living with mental health has gifted me with a dark sense of humour that I at times inject into my posts, which can be raw, personal and honest, and people have told me it helps, which is amazing! So, feeling vulnerable for a moment is worth it.”
At 38, Nuala is finding her voice and challenging the idea of what it means to be “grown up.” She describes how she loves to make people uncomfortable by asking what age they think she is, which is a huge part of the humour she weaves through her online posts.
Nuala admits that the road to seeing her words on stage was not without self-doubt, but credits Brassneck Theatre Company with providing the support needed to turn her vision into reality.
She explained: “I knew I had a story to tell, I just didn’t know how to go about it, I doubted myself and self-sabotaged. A friend put me in touch with Brassneck Theatre Company, whose support for me has been unwavering from the moment my email arrived in their inbox – I will be forever grateful to them.
“They believed in me, which has helped me have faith in myself, and I think we can all be that for someone – the belief they need, the encouragement, the listening ear.
“I failed my 11+, went to secondary school, didn’t go to university – my point being, you can achieve great things regardless of your background
“If we all cheered for and supported each other, the world would be a much happier and kinder place.”
My Phat Life promises a poignant yet hilarious exploration of the everyday struggles we all face. You can catch the performance at the Roddy McCorley Heritage Centre in West Belfast on various dates between July 30 and August 9th. Performances run from 8:00 pm to 9:15 pm, and tickets can be purchased online at Ticket Tailor. You can follow Nuala’s blog page here.
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