Xara Vaughan is a true talent. Coquettish and impossibly chic, she’s new to the cabaret scene but you’d never guess. She lets rip on a wide variety of songs, paying homage to the greats with Bassey and Garland numbers, as well as dropping in some contemporary twists. Not everyone is a Coldplay fan, but the beauty and musicality of the arrangements by Mark Aspinall are simply stunning. In addition to all this, Vaughan is a consummate and inventive storyteller. She acts, feels and flirts with every line of every song, the Cockney twang in her voice adding a unique timbre. An extremely accomplished, beautiful sound, but not a conventional one. Intriguingly gorgeous.

New Town Theatre, until 25 Aug (not 5, 12, 19), 7.20pm.
tw rating 4/5 | [Elizabeth Jewell]