Live Performance Review: Royal Shakespeare Company: The Rape of Lucrece (Edinburgh International Festival (E.I.F.) 2012/World Shakespeare Festival 2012), Friday 24.08.2012 21:00 Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh 

I went to see this, as was curious to see Camille O'Sullivan perform, though had no desire to see her doing her usual cabaret style performance. This poem by Shakespeare was performed via speech and song by Camille, accompanied by Feargal Murray on Piano, whose playing was sympathetic to the performance, never getting in the way.

I felt Camille to be a perfectly capable singer, though I don't agree with the hyperbolic comments that have been written about her singing ability.

Within terms of the performance, I felt Camille moved effortlessly back and forth from song to speech, her overall grasp of and flow with the piece was striking. I also felt that she was able to inhabit both the male and female roles in both a commanding and distinct manner. This was a monologue, where the switching from recited poem to song, I felt helped to ensure (audience member) attention was maintained. I felt that Camille was able to convey the piece making it easy to follow, able to sustain the intensity of the performance and unwaveringly hold the audience for 80 minutes; very impressive. I'm happy with my choice having been to see her perform within this form. I feel mixing up elements of speech and acting with her singing is something she is clearly able to do very well. She may well be suited to continuing to perform in pieces of this nature.

Rating: 08/10.