Real Talk 15th June 2018 by Helen O'Neill

Derry Girls’ Nicola Coughlan Called Out A Theatre Critic Who Keeps Commenting On Her Body In Reviews

Just rude.

The nation fell in love with Nicola Coughlan as the hilarious Clare on Derry Girls.

Now, the actress is playing Joyce Emily in a play called The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, a production that has received rave reviews from a number of critics.

However, one reviewer felt the need to comment on Nicola’s weight – and as it turns out, he’s done it multiple times.

Philip Fisher of the British Theatre Guide referred to Nicola’s character in Miss Jean Brodie as an “overweight little girl” in his article about the play. And in another show that Nicola was in last year, the same critic referred to her as a “fat girl”, despite the fact that it had no relevance to the review.

Nicola didn’t take this lying down, and ripped into him on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/nicolacoughlan/status/1007239896686301184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.her.ie%2Fceleb%2Fderry-girls-nicola-coughlan-called-out-a-critic-who-keeps-commenting-on-her-body-in-reviews-408378

https://twitter.com/nicolacoughlan/status/1007240824399319040

https://twitter.com/nicolacoughlan/status/1007240279936655361

Nicola also mentioned another review by the same writer in which he appears to make light of a rape scene:

https://twitter.com/nicolacoughlan/status/1007240521956327424

The British Theatre Guide has since apologised to Nicola, saying that the reviewer now “accepts that it is not acceptable to use such descriptions in a review.”

Nicola said she was “disappointed” by the publication, and the critic would not be welcome to review any more of her shows.

Philip Fisher, I know you are a theatre reviewer and your body had no relevance to your job but maybe you’d like me to cruelly review it for you and post it online? Let me state this clearly, he is not welcome to review any show I am in from now until forever. And I plan to be in a lot of damn shows.

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