Nick: An Accidental Hero

This one-woman performance tells the story of Nick Chisholm, a Kiwi who confounded virtually all medical opinion by overcoming locked-in syndrome to communicate, move and, eventually, marry.

At the heart of this piece are two key elements. The first, a truly inspiring story of "Chissy's" tenacity, and the love and support of his friends, Boyd and Liam, and his mum. The second is an exceptional performance by Renee Lyons, who gives life to the crew around Nick with real warmth and dramatic force. We see Nick mostly through hands and feet, cleverly lit to highlight the isolation of his active mind in his virtually immobile body. It's a neat effect, contrasting to the versatile vocal acting Lyons uses to delineate the other characters.

There's a couple of flaws here. Oddly, we don't really get much of a sense of the character of Nick. Admittedly, he is non-verbal for the entirety of the performance, but one can't help but feel that some scene-setting beyond his sporting prowess may have helped to engender a connection. The heroes here, undoubtedly, are the friends and family who are far more fleshed out. Secondly, there's the small case of the narrator – a Korean cleaner, Su Yeung. Though the character provides some welcome comic relief, it's unclear whether Lyons delivers it via an accurate Korean accent or whether the performance is a bit of a piss take ("what a mess! Ruckily I am riking creaning"). It feels at times uncomfortable and detracts unnecessarily from a sweet, and heartwarming production.