The Overeating Monologues

Remember the Vagina Monologues? Well, we reckon it’s time for the The Overeating Monologues. Time for women to break the taboo and speak up. So, that’s what we are working on right now and it’s one of the most exciting projects I’ve worked on to date. Audrey and I and two wonderful Beyond Chocolaters (whom I shan’t name just now as I haven’t checked with them before writing this post - though you’ll know who they are soon enough) have been meeting regularly to create a play/show/performance - not quite sure what to call it at the moment - called The Overeating Monologues, to celebrate the launch of our new book, Beyond Temptation.

I have never done anything like this before, so I am incredibly grateful that the others are experienced in theatre and play writing. If the final performance is anything like our writing meetings there will be much laughter and just as much sighing and pause for thought.

I feel so sad that we put ourselves through hell, daily, about the way we look and the size of our bodies. And that the impact of our desperation for a body that says “I am acceptable, I am lovable, I am in control, I am successful” means that we mess with our eating to such an extent that it can become the most shameful and secretive part of our lives. And then we get caught up in a sticky web of vicious self hatred or equally destructive self pity.

I want to live in a world where women (and men) are not judged by the size of their bodies, the make of their clothes, the size of their salary... I want to live a life free from the obsession with food and nutrition. The Beyond Chocolate principles have literally saved me from a life of endless dieting and misery. Had I not stopped dieting all those years ago, I dread to think what my life would be like today. I want to shout out to the world that I will not collude with it’s prejudice towards women who overeat, whatever their size. Overeating is not a disease, it is not a sin, it is not a horrible, shameful indication of how out of control we are, it is simply a coping mechanism, a way to self soothe, a way to treat ourselves or a result of a complex biological and hormonal process that I understand far too little about (and am interested in learning more about).

The Overeating Monologues will give women a voice. If you are interested in taking part in any way (on stage, back stage, in any other capacity - or even if you’d just like to come and see the show in the autumn) we’d love to hear from you. We'll let you know the exact date (sometime in November) and venue in London as soon as we have these confirmed. In the meantime... watch this space!