Theatre Review: Fixing at Nottingham Playhouse

Fixing is an acclaimed one-person show written and performed by Matt Miller.  Semi-autobiographical, Matt describes major events and emotions from their youth from family breakups, mental health and finding their queer identity.  This is done in the most remarkable and moving way as Matt alternates between himself as a young person and his drag alter-ego, Natalie Spanner.  What was so enjoyable and thought provoking about this performance was using the metaphor of fixing a 1945 Sunbeam Talbot car when talking about caring for and repairing ourselves.

The first thing the audience was asked to do was to close our eyes and find a memory about a car and our family.  My mind went straight to the fact that my dad would never buy a new car so some of my earliest car related memories were pushing them down and hill to get them started!  It’s this sort of fond or funny memory that Matt was hoping for us.  As a youth they remember working on the Sunbeam with their dad.

Using the idea of ‘holistic car care’. Matt and Natalie lead us gently through life events with and the emotions and memories that come with them, they discuss how this can and does impact on our future selves especially if we don’t take time to care for ourselves, care for other and ask for help.  Complete with hand gestures we were regularly encouraged to take a breath and say together, ‘holistic car care, going in a journey – together’.

Young Matt takes us through the development of their rather distant relationship with their dad and how that made them feel then and now as an adult.  They reflect on their dad as a role model for a father and if they would be better.  Much to their surprise Matt’s dad agreed to record some short car care related monologues to include in the show.  Intermittently and seamlessly, we return to the very thoughtful and kind Natalie Spanner in their sparkly coveralls providing the audience with some car care tips and trivia.  A wonderful use of repair shop and more personal props and mood lights with plenty of gentle audience interaction if you were brave enough to sit on the front row of the small intimate setting that is the Neville Studio at the Playhouse.  At one point, Natalie has the entire full house making all the sounds and actions of a car from ignition to engines firing.

There isn’t really a start, middle or end to this show.  It flowed beautifully and seemed over to soon.  A fascinating set was behind Matt / Natalie with plenty to look at and all very relevant to what we were hearing.  By likening self-care, honesty and kindness to caring for an old car the metaphor was clear and beautiful.  Whatever journey got each member of the audience to where they were on Friday it is all important and so are we and we deserve to look after ourselves and of course be there to help others.

Fixing was only in Nottingham for one night, but should it return I recommend grabbing a ticket.  It was an intimate, unusual, surprising and inspiring night reminding me to be kind to myself and look after this vintage model.

Fixing ran at the Nottingham Playhouse on Friday March 6 2026.