Review - The Unstoppable, Unsung Story of Shaky M (La Mama)

Loved it, loved it, loved it! This play features Rowena Hutson as a person living with Parkinson's Disease but the play is anything but sad as Hutson takes us on a journey to show just what the human imagination can achieve when isolated by will or in Shaky M's face, force. Hutson's mother suffers from Parkinson's Disease and she apparently used two years of research and interviews of people living with the disease to create her show. It was time well spent - Shaky M is a triumph. Despite the fact that the play is 45 minutes long and features no dialogue, the narrative is strong and the acting by Hutson is first class - she has every little character tick down pat and remains super consistent through the entire play. Shaky M is the perfect mascot for people with a disability - hell, for people in general - showing that your life is often only limited by your imagination. To watch Shaky M live out her dreams and fantasies in her living room (and lets be honest here, who hasn't done that before?) was uplifting and life affirming. Hutson personifies what it must be like to be held captive by your own body and how to turn that captivity into something meaningful and ultimately, beautiful. There are sad moments but these are fleeting as Shaky M pushes through pain and physical limitations to realise her dreams in the funkiest, grooviest way possible. It is a shame the show won't garner the kind of audience it deserves but if you can get to La Mama to see it, please make the effort - you won't be disappointed. Review appeared at: http://theatrevirgin.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/review-unstoppable-unsung-story-of.html Please visit http://theatrevirgin.blogspot.com.au/ for the latest Melbourne Theatre Reviews. Twitter: twitter.com/Theatre_Virgin