REVIEW: OLD FAT F**K UP @ RIVERSIDE STUDIOS

🎭 Old Fat F**k Up

📍 Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline Street, London, W6 9BN

🗓 Tuesday 11th November 2025

⭐️⭐️

A MIDDLING MISADVENTURE

After the promise of last year's five-star smash F**ucking Legend, the return of writer and performer Olly Hawes to Riverside Studios was met with much anticipation. Sadly this new offering, OLD FAT F**K UP, is a thunderbolt that fizzles rather than sparks. Hawes delivers on the raw honesty, but the potential is lost beneath the weight of its own narrative.

Part stand-up, part confession, the premise is a fantastic look at the chaos of middle-aged masculinity, parenthood, and financial pressure. Hawes is a powerful stage presence, but I couldn't help but feel that the show struggled to find its rhythm and became bogged down in its own emotional baggage.

We're introduced to the father, the husband, the man who fears he's losing his edge, and I really wanted to connect with him, but the storytelling felt directionless and disjointed. Instead of an exploration, this is simply a long-winded confession. The grim and unsettling moments described in the marketing are there, but they feel more like a forced element of shock value rather than earned emotional beats.

If I'm honest, I found my mind wondering throughout the evening. There was unfortunately nothing in the story that kept my attention. I kept having to force myself to focus on the narrative and theatre shouldn't be that hard.

The frustrating thing is that Hawes is evidentially a good actor. The times he took the microphone away and went from storytelling to acting in the moment were the best parts of the evening for me by far. These were the times that felt true and honest to me, but they were few and far between.

The potential for a sharply personal and witty piece of theatre is very much present, but it fails to cohere. There is a sense of something missing here. An element of magic fails to make an appearance. This production, much like its protagonist, seems to buckle under the immense pressure it puts on itself.

I wouldn't necessarily describe this as a bad show, but it is deeply disappointing. Hawes has great stage presence and is in himself very entertaining and engaging, but the text here inexplicably failed to resonate with me personally. A lot of the story could have been about my life, so I struggle to find why it was unsuccessful in connecting with me so spectacularly.

Maybe it was the casual rapport that took me out of the story, but I left wanting a lot more.

Also, the final 10 minutes or so seemed disconnected from the rest of the piece and seemed as if it just wanted to shock and leave a lasting impression, but this was far too forced.

This play has some good moments, a fantastic performer, and a promising premise, but in the end it feels like a missed opportunity for something amazing. I'm positive that many will enjoy it, but for me it was a reminder that sometimes, getting a glimpse of greatness just makes the "good" feel a little less satisfying.

If you are interested in watching OLD FAT F**K UP and making your own mind up, performances continue at Riverside Studios until Saturday 20th December. Click here to check availability and to book tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Old Fat F**k Up was gifted by GingerBread Agency who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY:

Olly Hawes

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 10 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Strong language; Sexual references; Descriptions of violence; Discussion of mental health; Blood imagery; Use of adult and physical prosthetics

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