My Fat Friend is a play by
Charles Laurence.
The comedy is an
ugly duckling tale about an overweight young woman who attracts the attention of a potential suitor. With the help of her friends/roommates, she undergoes a diet and exercise regime to shed the extra pounds she assumes she needs to lose in order to hold the man's attention.
The play premiered on November 6, 1972 at the
Theatre Royal, Brighton, where it ran for one week before transferring to the Rex Theatre in
Wilmslow for another week's engagement. On
December 6, it opened in
London's
West End at the
Globe Theatre, where it enjoyed a modest run despite lukewarm reviews. The cast, directed by
Eric Thompson, included
Jennie Linden and
Kenneth Williams.
John Inman also appeared in the show, before becoming a television star in the BBC department-store comedy
Are You Being Served?.