Under the arches of The Ballroom in Light Square, O’Donovan arrives on stage in a knee-length coat and from the first note, you know you’re in for a dazzling night of fun and entertainment.
Confessing to being single (yes, seriously, she says, as hard as that may be to believe), what is O’Donovan going to do about it? Sing, of course! She throws off the coat, to reveal a nurse’s outfit and – after several calls for assistance to get off the stage – trawls the audience to see what’s on offer. She makes sure no one misses out on her, including the males who, she is glad to see, are sitting at the back.
Upon her return to the stage, another call for assistance and, under the carefully structured warnings about content from her backing singers, she goes from PVC to woollen suit. She sings of love, loss, pain and, of course, sex and sexuality. Some are humorous, some ponderous, all amazingly delivered with heart and soul.
Stand outs included ‘Song for Sexy Straight’, about her painful love affair with a straight woman; ‘Silver Fox’, a powerful, rocking climax to the show; and two songs about motherhood – ‘From this Mother, to My Mother’ and the beautiful and touching ‘Maisy’s Song’, about the love Libby discovered through her daughter.
I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of O’Donovan in the not too distant future. If you haven’t caught her, do. And if you have, I’m sure you’ll want to see her, again … who knows, ladies, she might even give you her number; she is single, after all!
Rating: 5 stars
Some Of My Best Friends Are Single
By Libby O’Donovan
Feast Hub Precinct: The Ballroom
November 17 – November 18 (as part of the Adelaide Feast Festival)
