Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#49): Michelle Pearson, SKINNY

3 Jul

Conducted by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic

As anticipation builds for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, we’re catching up with a range of exciting creatives preparing to bring their work to the world’s largest arts festival this August. In this series, we delve into the stories behind the shows, the inspiration driving the artists, and what audiences can expect. Today, we’re joined by Michelle Pearson to chat about Skinny.

Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?

Skinny is a bold, funny, and deeply personal cabaret about the cruel and extraordinary things we do to achieve the “perfect” body. It explores society’s toxic obsession with body image and diet culture through storytelling, interviews, reimagined pop anthems, and biting humour.

I started writing it from a hospital bed in 2021, recovering from my third surgery caused by a cosmetic procedure I’d had in my twenties to be skinnier. That moment of reckoning made me reflect on how much of my life had been shaped by trying to conform to an ideal that wasn’t mine. It’s raw, relatable, and ultimately uplifting—and I know I’m not the only one who’s lived this story.

What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?
Edinburgh Fringe is the ultimate place to share brave, original work...and Skinny feels like the most important thing I’ve ever made. It’s personal, but also speaks to something so many people carry quietly every day. After an incredible response in Australia and the honour of receiving the Frank Ford Commission and multiple touring awards, I knew I had to bring Skinny to a bigger stage and international audience. Fringe is where conversations like this belong.

How would you describe your show in three words?
Funny, Defiant, Uplifting

What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?
I hope they leave feeling inspired and curious about how things could be different. I want people to walk away thinking differently about how they speak to themselves and others about their bodies. I hope they feel seen, inspired, and more compassionate, with a renewed sense that they are enough, just as they are.

What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?
Not too many late nights, enjoy the process and support other artists. And most importantly, lift each other up because it can be a really isolating experience for newcomers and we’re all in it together.

Where and when can people see your show?
Skinny is on at The Friesian at Underbelly Bristo Square from 30 July to 10 August. Don’t wait - there's only a short season and I would love as many people to see it as possible. You can also see me in Comfort Food Cabaret at the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School on select weekends, where I cook up a meal and serenade the audience. This show sold out in 2024 and has been all over the world. The best bit - the audience gets fed!