The Unstoppable, Unsung Story of Shaky M

Minimal, stylish and somehow very hip. The Unstoppable, Unsung Story of Shaky M is an original little piece of theatre and it hits the mark. Shaky M, is a young sufferer of an unspecified motor/neuron syndrome, gives us the show of her life.

I admit, at first I thought this was going to be an artistic exploration I wouldn’t have the attention for. I was wrong, Shaky M was about to bring it to the floor and keep me entertained to the very end.

The “story” of this piece of theater is danced/acted-out by “M” in her own living room. you’ll see a “drowning pillow” rescued from near death, a sincere yet upbeat view into the world of someone with a Parkinson’s-like affliction like “M” and a good, the bad and the ugly re-enactment too. That’s all I’m going to say. Not gonna spoil it for you.

Rowena Hutson created the show and stars as “M”. Inspired by her mother, a Parkinson’s sufferer, she began reading about the condition and about other people for whom “parky” was an ever-present, un-invited guest.

You could be tempted to see it as a style of show that could catch on. Think Brunswick/Fitzroy homegrown theatre with a clean professional sheen. It has the look and feel of a piece that has been whittled down, stripped down to the essential bits and given a good polish. The set and props deserve a definite thumbs up too.

Rowena has done her homework. The “shakes” of Shaky M are elegant, she’s meticulously created a very unique and characteristic set of movement patterns. She can’t necessarily talk… but Shaky M’s “mixtape” definitely speaks for her. Expect cool tunes.

Simple, light hearted and stylish. Recommended. Did I mention the whole show is very cute?

WHEN: Now until Sunday 1
WHERE: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday St, Carlton
WEB: lamama.com.au