Nuala Moore is bringing her own experiences to the stage by adapting her online journey into a play. The north Belfast woman, who documented her personal weight journey on the blog "From Phat to Phabulous" for many years, says she hopes to spread the message that there is more to life than how you look.
Moore said her online followers encouraged her to tell a story, and "My Phat Life" was born, making its debut at this year's Féile an Phobail festival in west Belfast.
Why does Moore want to tell this story?
Moore said the idea behind the play is to show that body image is only one part of a person’s life. She said social media had helped her connect with supportive strangers who became friends, but also warned that anonymous criticism can be harmful.
"Social media can be a blessing and a curse," she added.
"What's really good about it is, I've been really lucky in that it has brought strangers into my life who I now consider as friends, who have been so supportive from the beginning.
"But with social media because it's faceless essentially, people feel that they can sit behind a keyboard and throw words at you, they can walk away and it has no impact, but it does - words can be destructive.
"As powerful as words can be in building someone up, they can also tear someone down."
Moore said her blog began as a record of weight loss after she put on weight following the death of a relative, but the focus changed when her mental health became an issue. She said she was trying to manage her grief through the gym, but could not keep it up.
"I was trying to nurse this grief through the gym, so I wasn't sticking at it.
"It started off as weight loss documentation through the page and it has grown to life, love, mental health and everything in between."
She said reaching so many people through Féile an Phobail had been incredible, and she wanted people who are struggling to reach out for help or, if they see someone struggling, to offer help.
"I would love people if they are struggling to reach out and ask for help – or on the other hand if someone sees someone struggling – offer help – because sometimes it's really difficult to ask.
"There is a universal message that men or women can take home – and it's that it's okay to ask for help."
Caroline said the positive message from the play is that the character did get help and other people wanted her to get help.
Who is starring in My Phat Life?
"My Phat Life" is a one-person play following the character Ciara, who is played by actress Caroline Curran. Curran said she was not aware of Moore's blog before she auditioned for the part.
Curran said she read the script and found it to have heart, humour and a strong message. She also said the production required considerable work because she plays nine different people, both men and women.
"I read it as a script with loads of heart, loads of humour – with a really good message at the end of it .
"With it being a one-woman show I knew it was going to be a lot of hard work: I play nine different people – men and women.
"I think the positive message from this play is that the character did get help and other people wanted her to get help."
Curran added that body image affects many kinds of people and said the show had already drawn a broad audience, including many men of different ages. She said men can find it hard to talk about mental health, just as some women do, and that the play helps create space for conversation.
"Caroline added that "body image touches all aspects – all different types of people".
"We have had a lot of men in [to watch the show] which is great, from all ages, and sometimes men find it hard to talk about mental health as well, as some women do, so I think it's great that we can all strike up a conversation."
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