Camille O'Sullivan, born of an French mother and an Irish father, reaps the benefits of her cultural background. She possess the sultry and unashamedly sexy charm of the French, combined with the disarming gift of the gab that is traditionally the pride of the Irish. Her voice is like a Black Velvet, a cocktail of Champagne and Guinness.

Camille is a fascinating contradiction. She is seductress and shrew, bride and widow, angel and demon. She is more than just a singer or an actor; she is a theatrical talent who translates the classic songs of Jacques Brel, Nick Cave, Tom Waits and David Bowie into dramatised stories.

After her first song she shed her jacket, opened a bottle of wine with her teeth and launched her musical narratives in a different direction. Camille shifts between many different characters, feigning exhaustion and re-fuelling with a glass of wine each time.

The songs she sings carefully map the geography of darkness in tone and theme. Her stories start sombre, descend deeper into madness and float back to the surface with nostalgia. The end result is an overarching plot, in which the songs serve as scenes or acts; a play written by songwriters and acted by a singer.

Camille is a powerful and talented performer who pushes the boundaries of what is the norm in theatre. Camille: The Dark Angel is a hybrid of performance and I cannot recommend it strongly enough. It is truly and wonderfully unique.

Title: Camille: The Dark Angel

Venue: The Studio | Sydney Opera House

Tickets: $28-$48

Bookings: (02) 9250 7111/www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Photo courtesy of creative commons