Review: Skinny at The Liberty Theatre
Skinny at The Liberty Theatre
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
On a warm Wednesday night, Michelle Pearson’s musical cabaret Skinny made its WA debut inside The Liberty Theatre—once known as the old Liberty Cinema—leaving audiences in bouts of shock, laughter, and deep personal reflection on society’s dangerous obsession with thinness.
Skinny wildly departs from Pearson’s second show hitting Fringe World this year, Down Under: The Sounds That Shaped Australia, as Skinny was actually written from Pearson’s hospital bed after a surgical nightmare. With cabaret, comedic titbits and a distinct criticism of diet culture, Skinny details Pearson’s lengthy history of weight loss tactics, thin idealisation and traumatic medical experiences. As an international cabaret star, Pearson intertwines her musical genius with the show, performing songs across pop, R&B and rock genres. Garnering multiple awards at Adelaide Fringe in 2025 and five-star reviews across UK festivals and Edinburgh Fringe, Skinny certainly isn’t one to miss.
Hitting the stage with a four-piece band, Pearson captivates audiences with her cool confidence, powerhouse vocals and unique charm. Intimate, dynamic and jazz-influenced renditions of Pat Benatar’s All Fired Up, Foreigner’s Cold As Ice and Little Mix’s Little Me see Pearson cleverly merge lyricism with personal stories of childhood growth spurts, calorie counting, romantic failures and apathetic, avaricious surgeons. With musical prowess and a refreshing candour, Pearson relives her thirty-year battle with body shame in a way that touches the hearts of the audience.
Though pegged as a musical cabaret, Skinny is laced with witty remarks, physical comedy and audience participation segments. In one instance audience members cheered Pearson on and assisted her as she hilariously attempted to fit into her “motivational weight loss jeans”. In another, audiences gasped in horror as Aaron Nash, Pearson’s MD and keyboardist, embodied the persona of a sleazy surgeon. With all the charm of a snake oil salesman, Nash convinced Pearson that weight-loss surgery is truly worth it.
What really captures audiences with Skinny, however, is Pearson’s potent self-awareness. In her performance, she soaks up the pain of her past with raw vocals, frustrated expressions, and a distinct relatability in believing that self-worth is tied to one’s appearance. But she also conveys the importance of embracing and championing our bodies.
No matter if you’re a lover of musical cabaret or not, Pearson’s Skinny empowers everyone to scrap the idea that “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” and instead try to accept our bodies in all their imperfections. It certainly tastes better.
NATASHA PAUL
Skinny will be playing at The Liberty Theatre from Wednesday, January 21, to Sunday, February 1, 2026. Tickets are on sale now from fringeworld.com.au