Image: Camille O’Sullivan at Sydney Festival
Great cabaret is often part confession, part communion and Camille O’Sullivan’s Sydney Festival show has both in spades. It’s easy to see why the Irish-French singer has dominated the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the past 10 years. Hers is an interesting blend of gritty ballads, blues, folk and cabaret. And she has inspired a devoted following of fans – many members of the audience responded obligingly to her call for “meows” on request.
Her style is difficult to pinpoint – a sort-of Dita von Teese meets Bernard Black character. Singing the songs of Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen, she gradually disintegrates over the 80 minute show, and it is at times, spectacular to watch. As she begins the show walking through the aisle of the Spiegeltent, cloaked like a sparkly gothic matador, it’s clear the audience are under her spell.
Her song selection is varied and for the most part, impeccably chosen. She opens with Nick Cave’s God is in the House, lulling the audience into a hushed stillness. She howls through Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, in a gutsy, Janice Joplin-esque rendition of the song. But it is the acappella version of Jacques Brel’s Amsterdam that was the evening’s highlight – raw and unrelenting.
The Spiegeltent is a perfect venue for this kind of show. On stage, glowing vintage gowns hang from the ceiling, like the inside of some grand old dame’s closets. The audience, made up largely of those aged 50 and over, were utterly entranced by her. At any given moment and one could look around the room and see a sea of white heads bobbing in awe and appreciation. A man near the front sheepishly handed O’Sullivan a hand-written note as she exited through the aisle. Clearly, she has her fans. And not without reason, her stage presence is electric and she is a truly compelling storyteller. She is backed by a trio of exceptional musicians who provide strong support and clever musical arrangements throughout.
As a performer, she is something of a sorcerer, extracting every nuance of emotion through every word she sings. The voice is gravelly, cracked and, at times, magnificent. However she occasionally resorts to a faux-cutesie personality, and this felt jarring and inauthentic. The show was plagued by occasional sound and lighting issues, but no doubt these will be resolved as the season continues.
Despite some issues, the show is well worth seeing and sure to be a highlight of Sydney Festival.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Camille O’Sullivan
The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park
8 – 18 January 2015
Sydney Festival 2015
www.sydneyfestival.org.au
8-26 January
