Camille O'Sullivan

Of all Camille O'Sullivan's numerous strengths in cabaret it's probably atmosphere that really keeps audiences of the not exactly wildly-popular art form coming back for more. And, the Irish songstress says, it's exactly what her latest show 'The Dark Angel' will have an especial lot of, rather than it being centred around her as such.

"I don't particularly see myself as the dark angel; it's more so that the show is. A show will always have its own kind of flow and edge to it. With the name 'The Dark Angel' it's just a beautiful kind of name to cover an atmospheric notion, at least so the audience know they're not going to be coming into this thinking this'll be pure entertainment on a very - well not superficial level - but you know what I mean!"

How does one person work up a one-person transcending atmosphere though? Camille's methods, contrary to their nuanced, engaging ends, are straightforward and practical. And though she'll be using different songs from her favourite sources - Tom Waits, David Bowie, Nick Cave and Jacques Brel among others - it's a similar approach in each show.

"I guess it's the same kind of thing which I do with every show - just kind of laying your soul bare and singing as much as you can, and inhabiting songs. It's confrontational. I suppose the show is similar to the last one in the sense of where it's coming from in my head - it's to have a very emotive evening of revealing yourself through the songs and making people, sort of opening them up. So the same thought is behind them in the sense of kind of being true to yourself and being uninhabited when you're singing so you really get into them."

The title comes from a German Cabaret from the Weimar era called 'The Blue Angel', but Camille says her modification isn't about her having adopted a darker edge or anything.

"'The Dark Angel' was kind of referring to the fact that the contemporary writers like Tom Waits and Nick Cave are like the contemporary versions of Weill and Eisler, but who take a look at where we exist in the world today. It isn't saying it's darker than that era, but I'd say that it's equal to it. What is it, 80 years have gone by now, but the same type of storytelling is done, but we're just looking at it in a far more contemporary way.

"And this show has lighter aspects to it, so it's like taking sugar to let the bitterness go down, because some of the songs are quite dark and other ones are very upbeat. Which is what I intend to do with my shows, to try and give an all-round emotive experience so you're not left crying all the time, but you have some fun too!"

William McGinley

Camille performs 'The Dark Angel' in The Garden of Unearthly Delights for a return engagement on Mon 3 and Tues 4 March