‘Shaky’ Audio Series Is a Messy, Real Look at Disabled Life

There are many words you could use to describe Nicole Tompkins, the disabled protagonist of “Shaky,” Audible’s recent 9-part comedy audio series: passionate, wild, talented, messy. But she’s also kind of an asshole. 

That’s not a role that disabled people have often been able to play in fiction—neither pure nor villainous, just a regular messed-up human who acts impulsively or lashes out at friends and loved ones during times of stress. Even today, disabled characters are rarely allowed to take center stage in their own stories; instead they become “inspirational” props to the able-bodied characters around them. Though “Shaky” features an ensemble of engaging characters, it’s Nicole, played by Rosa Salazar, who drives the plot throughout. 

Katherine Craft (Courtesy)

The new series from writer and director Katherine Craft, which was released on July 3, follows Nicole’s journey back to her hometown of Plano after being diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s at the age of 30. She’s trying to hold onto her gig as the drummer in Golden Braid, her best friend’s band, struggling to come to terms with her new illness, and distracting herself from her troubles by hooking up with hot guys at every opportunity. 

Craft says she sees a lot of herself in Nicole’s impulsiveness and anger at her lot in life. In her 20s, Craft underwent a series of surgeries that, instead of improving her vision, permanently damaged her ability to see. 

“I just had this rage inside of me for several years, and it was important for me, for Nicole to have that same rage and, as a woman too, I think women are not supposed to have that kind of rage,” Craft told the Texas Observer. “So it was important for me to have this lead character who’s going through it and is not being pretty and sweet and nice about it.”

A few years after she moved back home, Craft’s father, who died in 2023, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, which also inspired the plot of “Shaky.” To further ensure realism, Craft worked with Amy Carlson, an actress and creator with Parkinson’s, as a disability consultant. “It was fun to have a writer and an artist who understood the process, who could come in with her own ideas and experiences and help make it a lot richer.”

Carlson also has a small role as a woman who suggests homeopathy could cure Nicole’s Parkinson’s. Thanks to the numerous disabled characters in the supporting cast, “Shaky” introduces listeners to common pitfalls of life with a chronic condition—such as unhelpful, unsolicited medical advice. We also see how other disabled people, further along in their journeys than Nicole, find autonomy, independence, and meaning in their lives in spite of, or by embracing, their conditions.

But “Shaky” isn’t a lecture on disability culture or activism. It’s a laugh-out-loud-funny comedy laced with drama and a strong sense of place. We visit boisterous nightclubs, playful music therapy classes, and even a bougie retirement community where Nicole’s mother (played by Roselyn Sánchez) connects with a sexy older gentleman from a dating app. 

The characters and casting also further cement this as a story based in the Lone Star State. Frank, a recumbent-bike riding neighborhood busybody who eventually becomes Nicole’s running coach and Obi-Wan Kenobi-like mentor is memorably brought to life by the Austin character actor Sonny Carl Davis (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Bernie,” the “Evil Bong” Series, and a famous endorsement for Beto O’Rourke directed by Richard Linklater). Davis’ performance hints at hidden depths to Frank beneath the cowboy drawl and exasperated jokes, which makes his life advice land harder when Nicole finally slows down long enough to listen.

Frank was inspired by Craft’s father, who had an accent similar to Davis’ and used a recumbent bike with a headrest as a way to stay active. “He was like the neighborhood mayor,” she recalled. “He’d get on his bike and go hang out in someone’s driveway and have a beer. It was a really interesting method of accessibility that let him be out of the house and do stuff.”

As Craft skillfully plays each characters’ flaws off one another, the various plot threads meet in a wild mix of rock music, sexy hookups, TikTok culture, and even a disability rights protest, all of which keeps the listener engrossed through the entire three-and-a-half-hour miniseries. It is hard to find fault here: I’d have liked to see more disability representation among the cast themselves, and the audio mixing on a couple of the busier scenes was a bit hard to follow. But none of this detracted from my enjoyment of Craft’s heartfelt storytelling. It’s easy to recommend “Shaky” to fans of audio dramas, and I’ll be eagerly looking out for whatever Craft does next.

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