Australia has brought a stronger team to Edinburgh than they fielded in the recent Lions tour and House of Oz is leading the charge. Their eight-strong portfolio of shows has both depth and variety.

Michelle Pearson‘s autobiographical gig theatre show, in Underbelly, about the challenges that face overweight people is a case in point.

It’s both funny and moving, but most importantly it is dripping with talent – from Pearson herself to her great band of cello, bass, drums and keys. They keep it tight all night as we are treated to a set list that ranges from a simply brilliant ‘Karma Police’ (Radiohead), through Whitney, Pink Floyd, Les Mis, Spice Girls, Billy Joel, and a chilling ‘Cold as Ice’ by Foreigner.

Each song has had its lyrics re-written to tell Pearson’s life story from chubby kid (‘No-one in Home and Away was chubby,’ she rues) to an adulthood that involved fad diets and failed surgery.

Her story is made all the more poignant by cut-aways to filmed documentary footage of several Australian men and women that have spent many dollars trying to make their bodies acceptable for societal norms. Pearson tells us at one point that the Wall Street Journal has estimated the weight loss industry, with all its failings, is worth $76bn. And what does it achieve? Misery. ‘Nothing tastes better than skinny’, she tells us, but skinny is not on the menu.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this show, aside from its total honesty, is the huge vocal skills of Pearson.  She could have spent an evening going all Whitney on us, so powerful is her resonant voice, but mostly she keeps her Diva potential under wraps so that when she does let rip it’s searingly powerful. Otherwise her singing is passionate, considered, and incredibly empathetic.

This is gig theatre at its best and the audience was profoundly impressed and moved by a great story, sung well.

‘Skinny’ is at Underbelly Bristo Square – Friesian until Sun 10 Aug 2025 at 18:50