Fat Swan

Trevor, tell us about seeing Black Swan for the first time.
A friend had told me that I absolutely had to see the movie and play the role because he thought it’d be hysterical. He said that the papers were heralding the film as a ‘psycho-thriller masterpiece’. He felt that it was less a masterpiece, and closer to Showgirls 2. Only this time, in tutus and tulle. In other words: it was ripe for the picking. I was intrigued.

So I went to see the film and I could not stop laughing. I just found it hysterical. And as the film went on it became more and more ridiculous. The same old rival dancer plot was there, the obsessive mother, the sleazy choreographer. I giggled as she started pulling her own skin off, laughed out loud when black feathers started growing out her back and was in hysterics by the time she killed Mila/herself.

All ripe for the piss-taking. Tell us about Fat Swan. The title is a masterstroke, by the way.
Well, once we decided on my character’s name being Natalie Portly the title became obvious.

The self-harm, the lesbian love scene, the masturbation scene and the whole idea that she’s being stalked – it’s all in there. It’s not only a parody of Black Swan, but also of Centre Stage, Fame and all of those dance films.

I’ve got body dysmorphia in the show and everyone sees me as this small, anorexic ballet dancer and I see myself as a fat person – which is also how the audience sees me. Everyone just keeps telling me how thin I am, and I’m going to enjoy that because it doesn’t happen very often in real life. [Laughs]

Will it have the same psychological impact that Black Swan had on its audiences?
I think it will be psychologically disturbing for people mainly because they’ll be seeing me in a leotard. And also because of the fact that I’m doing a lesbian love scene.

Now I wait with bated breath for the sequel... someone tell Darren Aronofsky I’m available if he needs a star.