Review: Skinny at The Liberty Theatre

Review by Tatum Stafford

Michelle Pearson, backed by a fantastic four-piece band, presents ‘Skinny’ - a thought-provoking, impactful and beautifully sung cabaret about society’s obsession with weight and the pursuit of ‘skinny’. 

Kicking off in the ‘80s and charting Michelle’s journey with her body from then to now, Michelle weaves us through her childhood, adolescence, early adulthood up to now, as a mother to a young son. Across all these years, one thing remains the same: a consistent hum of pressure to be thinner and to alter her body. 

Michelle’s story is punctuated with songs, often cleverly rejigged with apt lyrics about the subject matter, and poignant black and white vignettes are projected on the screen behind her every few songs; letting us in on similar stories of the long-term effects of body image and perception of several strangers. 

Michelle is backed by a fantastic band, and her voice absolutely soars over the material which spans from pop to musical theatre to punk. In terms of pacing, I do think a few songs could be either shortened or cut to make way for more stories and anecdotes, and given the linear nature of Michelle’s story from childhood to now, the song choices might have felt more impactful if they aligned with the year or era Michelle was speaking about.

Shortening the setlist may have also made way for more time for Michelle to share her current worldview, and provide some practical guidance or inspiration for anyone in the audience who needed it at the time. Without giving too much away, the show does come to an uplifting close, but I felt this could be driven home even further - particularly given the level of detail that is offered about the negativity Michelle has faced up until this point. 

It was clear that many audience members resonated with Michelle’s story, and there were audible gasps or sighs all throughout the crowd as we learned more and more of the sad and often hurtful things that she has thought or had said to her over the years. That being said, I do think the audience interaction in this show could use some tightening, as it did feel tonally a little out of step with the momentum and impact of the rest of the piece. 

This is a really impactful show, and it carries some really heavy and often taboo topics to the forefront, which is what often makes a great and memorable Fringe show. Worth a watch for Michelle’s powerful voice and for the stories that are bound to stay with you. 

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