The Damsel in Shining Armour.

Walk into the theatre and Sophie Walsh-Harrington is gagged, bound and struggling, wearing an entirely inappropriate blue evening dress. When everyone is seated she starts to sing, still gagged, drawing laughter from the audience.

The story: the worryingly neurotic Walsh-Harrington is on a search for love and melodrama. The man she has been dating announces he is returning to Europe — to rejoin the wife he hadn't mentioned.

Walsh-Harrington's love-quest leads to Paris. She meets Bernard, convinces herself they're in a fine romance with no kissing, until she discovers the fashion designer's preferences lie elsewhere. They become best friends, sharing a passion for Celine Dion's songs.

This is cabaret in the raw and far more interesting than the old-school style of standing around singing and sharing patter. Walsh-Harrington is sexy and her performance is edgy. She knows her voice can't imitate Celine Dion's and instead imprints her vixen-style onto the songs.

When you walk out of the theatre, you leave ready to sing your own songs — a metaphor for living an authentic life.

Daniel G Taylor