Milo Hartill on being seen, heard, and unapologetically funny | Misumma Festival | Chapel Off Chapel

Milo Hartill’s show Black, Fat and Fa**y is a bold, joyful exploration of cabaret, storytelling, and lived experience of being a Black, fat, and queer person. In it, Hartill draws on humour, music, and personal insight to tackle both the hard and fun parts of life, delivering a production that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. In this interview, Hartill reflects on how their identities have moulded the stories she tells, the decisions behind what makes it into the show, and the delicate balance of revealing her own truths while keeping audiences engaged, laughing, and thinking differently.
 
At the heart of the show is Hartill’s reality of moving through the world as a Black, fat, queer person, and how that intersection of identities informs not only how she is seen and treated, but the tales, humour, and honesty she brings to the stage. "The life I lead and how I am treated is because of these markers - Black, fat, and queer - and it is endlessly impactful to the way I present myself and my stories," she says. "It influences how I see society in a multitude of ways and to see the best and worst of people. It shows me the gravity of people's bias, opinions, and assumptions, how finding and cultivating community can be life-changing, and how I have to work way harder than most to hit the same goal posts. It also shapes the way I view politics, as many factors in life and politics that barely affect privileged people will almost always affect me in some way. It determines how willing people are to hire me for jobs, depending on how the majority of people feel about brown, fat, and queer people."

"All of this guides my storytelling and what I have chosen to include in this show, because it is about being at the crossroads of these identities. There are heaps of stories and jokes I could tell, but this show hones in on identity, and specifically mine, in conjunction with one another. Sometimes they coincide, tragic and hilarious, offensive and joyful, crazy and mundane, because I happen to be at the space between all these minorities. This culminates in me wanting to celebrate what this is like, and to have people gain a deeper understanding of what it means to exist in this way."
 
When you’re creating a show about yourself, sharing elements of your private life with the public is unavoidable. For Hartill, deciding what was important, funny, and honest while protecting her own wellbeing was a consideration from the moment they began writing. "This was kind of our whole question when we (me and my director, or as he prefers to be called 'Head Chef' Robin Goldsworthy) started writing it. What lends itself to a good 80 minutes of fun, while allowing us to examine and celebrate being Black, fat, and queer?"

"Naturally, talking about these markers, the effects they have on my life, and the lived experience of existing at the intersection of oppressed groups was never going to be all butterflies and rainbows, especially in the current political climate. But we didn’t want audiences to sit there, or leave the theatre feeling disheartened or hopeless having witnessed me trauma-dump for 80 minutes," Hartill explains. "If they go home and reflect on the shiny exteriors of their friends who are disadvantaged, then I've done my job. Even after laughing at the fun, I hope they walk away with a little more empathy and awareness of what it's like to be me and people like me. So this helped us to be able to shape and form the show, what we did and didn't include, what we highlighted, what we cut and what wasn't needed for THIS show."
 
What has been included in Black, Fat and Fa**y is a plethora of musical numbers that cover a range of styles including Mousse T, Frank Sinatra, Solange Knowles, and Nina Simone. It's a selection that Hartill has curated for clear reasons. "Honestly, first and foremost, because I wanted to show off Jokingggggg (sort of)," she laughs. "But I selected songs I could edit or change to further the storytelling or joke I am doing. Some are the punchline to a story, some are to set the mood of the following or previous section, some are because I want to make the audience sing and giggle about being horny and some are just BECAUSE! I wanted to feature artists that connect with the markers named in the show title, and to show off all the things I can do, to show myself I can do them, and to remind people that the talents and abilities of Black, fat f*gs know no bounds, and we are just as talented and capable as our white, thin, straight peers. You just have to unpack the assumed limitations you put on us.

Humour is a key part of the show, and Hartill radiates an infectious energy whenever I’ve watched her perform, as she balances laughter and keeping spirits high, while challenging audiences' ideas. "Humour is the peanut butter that hides the pill for divulging thought-provoking messages, themes and calls to action for me. It's the sparkly distraction while I attempt to sneak in some confronting truths, and I am not sure if anything I write will or can be void of a sense of humour," she tells me. "It's my favourite quality and my biggest vice, that I am constantly looking for the joke at weddings, births, funerals, in a fight, on the street, at a cafe. I struggle to take things seriously, but this means when I do get real, it carries a heavier significance."

"It's a horrible reference, but Robin Williams' death resonated so strongly because most of the world only saw this joyous funny guy. I think this is true of a lot of funny people, we use it as a shield, and as a lifeline to find more joy in things. But I hope more comedians can use this edge to delve into the not-so-funny, to disarm people to engage with serious ideas and social issues. It’s a difficult balance, but I’ll always try to maintain it.”

MIDSUMMA MINUTES – QUICKFIRE FIVE

1. A song I could listen to on repeat forever is Put The Needle On It -by Dannii Minogue. It's such a classic and really hits that good spot in my brain.

2. One object I can’t live without backstage is hydralyte because I love to address my lack of hydration at the last minute and call it health.

3. My favourite word is awesome because it's awesome.

4. Something unexpected that brings me joy is ladybugs because they're so cool!!! I want fun dots on my back/butt!

5. If I could live one day as someone else, it would be a mediocre white man because I wanna feel the ego they take with them through life and put it into my own.

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran
Season: 4 - 5 Feb | 8pm
Duration: 70 minutes
Tickets: $40 Full | $35 Conc
Bookings: Midsumma Festival

Primary image credit: Matto Lucas
Secondary image credit: Lazyfair