Review – The Unstoppable, Unsung Story of Shaky M

The ‘M’ seems to be for mime in this non-verbal show. It’s kind of like mime, kind of like dance too, as the performance is structured around a series of songs, mix tape style. Shaky M has Parkinson’s disease, which draws attention to the physicality of the performance, but it’s listed in the Fringe guide as theatre, rather than dance or even physical theatre.

Rowena Hutson created the titular character based on research interviews with people with Parkinson’s but mostly her own mother. This close experience with Parkinson’s ensures Hutson’s performance is both compassionate & really convincing. Through the performed mix tape we get a glimpse of what it’s like to exist in such a shaky body. The two strong themes in the mix tape are loneliness & heroism. Hutson portrays the lows, but her exuberance in the heroic highs are probably what one remembers best. She engages the audience with a near-constant goofy grin. The props in the show bring big splashes of colour to the black box that make this show quite rich visually. The stage is strewn with scattered cushions, crafty bunting, & litters of confetti & smarties, quite a backdrop for a story about someone who has trouble getting in & out of a wheelchair.

Watching a woman impeded by Parkinson’s could make for a pretty tedious forty-five minutes, but it’s hard to resist mirroring the smiles on stage & appreciating the compassion behind a really joyful show. If you have any involvement with disabilities you’ll probably want to catch this.