Fresh from a season at Edinburgh Fringe and an Off-Broadway debut in New York, multi-award-winning vocalist and cabaret performer Michelle Pearson is set to captivate Perth audiences in 2026 as she brings her critically acclaimed production, Skinny, to the Liberty Theatre for Fringe World 2026.
Described as a defiant and empowering cabaret-theatre work, Skinny delves into society’s toxic obsession with diet culture and the impossible pursuit of the “ideal” body size.
With powerhouse vocals, biting humour and raw honesty, Pearson unpacks the absurd lengths people go to in the name of beauty — and offers an alternative vision: one grounded in acceptance, authenticity and real joy.
Inspired by Pearson’s personal journey through a surgical nightmare and lifelong struggles with body image, the show fuses pop music, honest revelations and myth-busting to challenge societal norms and encourage empowerment.
“Skinny is ultimately my personal story—but I know many people will relate,” Michelle Pearson said. “I began writing it from a hospital bed in 2021, recovering from a third traumatic surgery caused by a procedure I had in my early twenties—done purely to be skinnier. That was the moment I started asking myself what might’ve been different if I hadn’t spent years trying to conform to an impossible ideal.”
That reckoning became a turning point.
Backed by a live band, audiences can expect a dynamic soundtrack that includes everything from power ballads to reimagined pop songs, as well as thought-provoking insights into the ever-shifting concept of beauty.
“We live in a world obsessed with weight and appearance. We praise people for losing kilos instead of their
accomplishments and reduce identities to dress sizes. It’s absurd—and dangerous,” Pearson said.
This bold cabaret-theatre piece made its debut at the 2024 Adelaide Cabaret Festival, where it was developed as part of the prestigious Frank Ford Commission. The commission marked a milestone for Pearson, celebrating her first performance at the world-renowned festival.
Since making its debut the show has been racking up the awards and high praise as Pearson has taken the show around the globe.
Catch it at the Liberty Theatre on 21st and 22nd January, 29th and 31st January, plus the 1st February. Tickets are on sale now.
