There is a well-known expression that reads as: “A mother’s hug can heal anything.” And although this remarkable musical theatre exhibition covers a broad spectrum of themes, this significant statement is arguably the compelling centrepiece of this emotional story. Tina (portrayed by the splendid Lisa Brickell) is a woman with direction. A psychologist who has her life in her comfort zone and believes that any feelings of confusion are almost trivial in her way of living. A night at a party meeting the smooth-talking “Ty” (also represented by Lisa) brings about an unplanned “fling” that becomes a relationship after nearly a year together. It is at this juncture that Ty escalates the relationship to the idea of becoming a family and having children, which is strictly forbidden in Tina’s mind and the premise of Shhh! is then revealed in an impactful tell-all of Tina’s family history. Astonishingly this theatrical confessional is based on a true story. Ms Brickell transforms into numerous characters including her great grandmother “Alice” who became a mother before legally becoming an adult, her grandmother “Maebel” who hastily married her unworldly husband George and tried to setup a life and home almost cluelessly (a caravan existence while the house is in building phase is rather stressful). Lisa also embodies Tina’s mother “Beth” and her husband “Doug”, who come from the “hippie generation” in Byron Bay and then undergo an identity crisis and move into the house George eventually completed. These are all challenging living situations and the common thread that carries through each generation is that the mothers in this story are misdiagnosed with a version of Postpartum Depression. Rather despondently, each woman is mistreated, over medicated and traumatised resulting in a transmitted depression. This history (or HERstory) is what Tina has to confront when presented with the idea of having a family of her own. Fortunately this tale isn’t all “doom and gloom”; Lisa Brickell’s New Zealander outlook on life and inherent comedy sneak in exquisitely, and her transition between every character (it is over a dozen) including a masked “depression goblin” are wondrous. Musician and Actor Siri Embla has a pivotal role as the spine of the production. Performing songs suiting each generation and time period including variations of the ‘Hush Little Baby’ lullaby, Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ and other classics, as well as repeating the cleverly crafted devastating poem of medical diagnoses and the staff who “treat” the PPD mothers is a spellbinding display. Incredibly this whole extravaganza is done in a minimalistic value with the use of very few props; this ultimately enhances the talents that these performers possess. Conclusively and without revealing too much, Shhh! is a difficult, dramatic and humbling experience, but a gracious presentation of a universe that requires more attention everyday: mental health. The truly remarkable characteristic that this production shines light on is how strong and dependable mother figures have to be. However, they are also human and need the right care and attention too. “A mother’s hug can heal anything.” It can heal mothers too, more than we will ever know.