The Fringe is no stranger to shows performed on gym equipment. Richard Gadd’s ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’ being the high water mark in 2016. Kate Sumpter‘s excellent ‘Spin’ in 2023 also utilised the spin cycle as a key character in her one woman show. So Megatron Inc’s adoption of a spin cycle to, once again, become a vehicle (albeit static) for mental breakdown is not really a new concept. Nevertheless, the extremely talented Megan Tomie playing “herself” as Meg, the spin class instructor with meg(a) attitude, turns in another highly engaging performance that adds to this interesting canon of work.
Meg is a Manhattan princess. She’s a ‘Theatre Kid, Spin Instructor’ (both kind of bad) new to LA and taking no prisoners in her motivational speech ridden classes.
She loves a mantra: ‘I do not sweat, I release regret.’
‘Five minutes early is already late.’
She torments her class members: ‘One of you just ate bread. You brave whore!’
It’s all high energy positivity that emanates from Tomie, but in equal measure, she berates the audience (her class members) and encourages her privileged spinners. She truly is the Queen. Although it gradually emerges that the reason she is intoxicated by this hard work (physically and emotionally) is because she has both Mommy and Daddy issues. In fact, she just has issues, issues. She’s a wreck.
The tone of the show flip flops from humour to aggression. No one went to a spin class for relaxation after all. But then, in a heartbeat, the show turns dramatically in its construct. The effervescent (albeit troubled) Meg is now a victim and it gets ugly.
This is a powerful performance, laced throughout with humour and a high degree of exertion. Much of it is impressively performed without loss of breath on a Formula One spin cycle. It’s an excellent study in the art of masking and the debilitating impact of anxiety. Meg’s exuberant personality effectively masks her lack of self esteem, until, inevitably, it doesn’t.
The show hits the mark emotionally and begs the question, are fitness instructors really all as untroubled as their beautifully sculpted exteriors suggest? It might be a very different answer on the inside.
SpinQueen™ is at Greenside @ George Street – Jade Studio until Sat 29 Aug
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