Fixing | Midlands Art Centre

New show by Matt Miller and Peader Kirk, Fixing, arrived at the Midlands Arts Centre this week, performed by Miller himself with assistance from his drag persona Natalie Spanner. Currently touring across England, the show combines two traditionally separated art forms - drag, and fixing a car. Together, Miller and Natalie Spanner tell a tale of family breakups, breakdowns and what it takes to heal from trauma, touching on father-son relationships and how sons can learn from their fathers to be men, what we can learn from our parents and the value of leaning on each other for support, even when being vulnerable doesn't come naturally.

Miller single-handedly leads the show as a charming storyteller, inviting the audience into the world of his childhood and his treasured memories, and hits all the beats needed for the script to have the best impact and make communicate the feelings of naivety, innocence and helplessness as these qualities ebb and flow throughout the show. Miller is warm to the audience, and as Natalie Spanner, gets people involved in a non-intimidating way, including people without ridicule or judgement and offering opt-outs and reassurance throughout crowd work.

Natalie, alongside using classic raunchy humour expected in drag shows to interlude chunks of Miller's story, comes across almost as a representation of the work that goes into healing, and the practices we use to cope, quite literally using analogies about ‘holistic car care’ and car parts to explain these concepts.

Visually, the set is an interesting layout of various car parts laid out across the back of the stage, many of which become part of Natalie's breakdown solution toolkit throughout the show. Miller uses simple costume pieces to discern the difference between himself and Natalie, with easy shifts between each preventing the energy from dropping during transitions.

While the show overall was a heartwarming experience, with genuine effort made to encourage the audience to take on board the valuable messages within, much of the plot was secondary to the emotional experiences of the people involved, making it occasionally feel like we were all sitting in a group therapy session rather than a theatre. While this feeling can be impactful, there may be some balance to be found in Fixing between this and the storytelling aspect, especially as this may make the ending more impactful. It may also be interesting to see more connection between the events Miller recollects and Natalie's interludes.

Overall, Fixing is a tender invitation to the audience to come along on a reflective journey through childhood memories, with lessons on opening your heart to yourself and others - though generally can feel lacking in coherent plot. The show serves not as a remedy to problems, but a reminder to ensure your toolbox is properly equipped to solve problems as they arise.

Fixing is currently embarking on a UK tour until 17th April 2026 - more information and tickets can be found here.

★★★☆☆ (3*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Von Fox Productions