Camille O’Sullivan – Fringe Diva from Cork

A small group of us went to see Camille O’Sullivan a couple of weeks back at the wonderful Wiltons Music Hall in Whitechapel.

If you do not know Wilton’s you are missing a real historical and curious treat of a location. It can trace its history back to 1743 when it was originally an ale house, being purchased by a John Wilton in 1850 who enlarged the concert room ( that had been built 11 years previously) to become the Magnificent New Music Hall accommodating 1500 people. It was a successful location for 30 years or so before being ravaged by fire and then being purchased by the East End Mission and thereafter being operated as a Mission for many years.

After several reincarnations it was due to be demolished in the 1960s but a campaign was launched to save it and after being Grace II listed and adequate funds were found it reopened as a Theatre and Concert Hall in 1997. Between 2007 and 2015 more works have taken place to ensure a safe environment and utilising money from the Heritage Lottery Fund the building was repaired conservatively retaining many original features so that it is now established as a kind of shabby/chic environment where you are able to see original features, view a small museum and drink cocktails/ eat pizzas and marvel at an array of eclectic performances in its high ceilings original Music Hall.

Wilton’s Bar

Main Entrance area

So now you know about it you can go there yourself !

Turning to the artist Camille O’Sullivan. I was not aware of her until I read an advertisement regarding her concerts at Wilton’s where she should would be performing on a weeks engagement,and the flyer showed she would be singing songs from Bowie/Cave/Radiohead and Brel. Apparently she was named by The Daily Telegraph as one of the top 25 performances ever on Later with Jools Holland and I cannot understand why I did not know her as her favourite artists seemed to coincide with mine.

I have read she is regarded as a fringe Diva and that’s a great description of her and her act. She arrived in a Cape lit up with fairy lights and on the stage was a gingerbread house, rabbits and a wolf, which I understood was to give the impression of a children’s fairytale inspired by her reading of such stories to her daughter at night.

Her eclectic choice of songs ranged from Bowie’s “Five Years” (with Pink Floyds Eclipse tagged on the end), “All the Young Dudes”” Blackstar” and “Where are we now”to Nick Caves “The Ship Song”,from Dylans  “Twist of fate” to Cohen’s “Anthems” contains the beautiful phrase quoted by Camille before performing the song of “Theres a crack in everything and that’s how the light gets in”. Delving back further into history we had an astounding, emotional and poignant version of “Look Mummy no hands” a song originally written by Dollie Keane of Fascinating Aida fame. Then we had the amazing Jaque Brels “ Amsterdam” performed a Capella with just her own foot stomp to accompany her.

She comes across as a warm and genuine character and many members of the audience were in tears from some of her renditions of the songs. It was a rollercoaster ride from Goldfrapp to Radiohead to a rocky encore of Princes “Purple Rain” which I certainly did not see coming. In between songs she made modest and amusing comments and asked the audience not to get her started as she was from Cork and could talk forever.

In an interview before the show Camille had been quoted as saying that”People should come to the show to express themselves and have a drink and laugh and enjoy life, be like a child again and enjoy the innocence of it all again. Be lured back to remembering that life can be good – see the joy to life and the darkness and it’s OK to spend 90 minutes with me and then wonder who you are after that” With a tagline like that and music from some of the best artists ever to have set foot on this planet you would be crazy not to enjoy this show. Her Wilton’s residency has ended but you can book now for her one off evening at The Union Chapel on November 29th. Wilton’s and the Chapel would both vie for me as the two best music performance spaces in London so get your tickets now and I will be seeing you there !