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Main event: not a freak show
Conrad Astley25/11/2005
MAT Fraser coined a new term to describe his musical, calling
the genre "cripsploitation."
Some people may be offended by the term - a reference to the
blaxploitation movies of the 70s which were some of the first to
star black actors - as much as they are by the title to
Thalidomide!! A Musical? But that, he explains, is the point.
"It started out as joke" he said. "I'd done some more serious and
more confrontational work in the past and I realised I was turning
people off. People are prepared to see stuff about this but it's
much better if you make them laugh.
"I'd always wanted to do this. I'm a sicko at heart, and I think
it's very important the British people see disabled people in the
same world as this post Little Britain, post League of Gentlemen
type of comedy."
Fraser is himself a victim of Thalidomide, the drug which promised
a cure for morning sickness to a generation of women in the late
50s and early 60s, but instead caused horrific birth defects. Many
children born to mothers who took it while pregnant died within
months, while others had major problems with internal organs.
Fraser was one of many children born with phocomelia - shortened
arms and flipper-like hands.
This did nothing to stop him spending 15 years as a drummer in
various punk rock and reggae bands, and becoming an expert in a
martial arts system.
He eventually followed both his parents into the acting world - he
was conceived while they were on tour - joining the Graeae Theatre
Company before appearing in Channel 4's Metrosexuality, and touring
with his solo show Sealboy: Freak.
The new production sees him appearing alongside Anna Winslet -
Kate's big sister - and features such show-stopping numbers as Talk
To The Flipper, It's Hard To Hitch Down Life's Highway With No
Thumbs, and I Can Be His Arms.
The story focuses on the romance between the two characters - a
phocomelic man and an able-bodied woman - and features lewd lyrics
and cartoonish humour.
He says the humour of the musical fits in perfectly with the mood
of the time, with mainstream comedy becoming much more risqué, and
a huge backlash against political correctness.
"I probably would have done this in the 80s because I love a good
fight. But it wouldn't have been at all as well received.
"I just want everyone to enjoy it, and I can raise it to a level of
sick humour that I couldn't have done back then.
"A lot of people are saying how refreshing it is. They can have a
really good laugh at stuff they were told they couldn't laugh at
before."
But while times are also changing for disabled actors - Fraser's
most high profile role was his recent appearance in a mobile phone
advert - he said this was happening very slowly.
He praised Peter Kay and Coronation Street for using disabled
actors, but said the world of TV and films still had a long way to
go, with able-bodied actors still getting chosen to play disabled
characters.
Fraser compared the problem with that facing black actors 40 years
ago, when there were very few black faces on the screen, but he was
confident things would eventually change.
"It's dragging its feet terribly" he said. "Ten years ago when I
started I was saying in 10 years time we'll see the first disabled
actor getting an Oscar. It'll happen, but we'll all have long white
beards when it does.
"It's a bit of a barren desert at the moment, but we'll end up in
reality. One in eight people is disabled, but you wouldn't guess
that by watching the television."
Thalidomide!! A Musical? is at the Royal Exchange Studio
from December 1 until December 3
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