‘Transistor Radio Hour’ showcases Fempath (Mari Moriarty)’s enthralling voice and impressive musicianship through original songs and re-written covers, performed with her band (Carolina Lopez Del-Nero, Bebhinn Todd). Moriarty creates a lyrical collage, with words from activists’ speeches, pop culture references, and letters from her family creating a variety hour that shifts frequently and compellingly in perspective, topic, and tone. It takes an artist of distinctive style, in total command of the cabaret form to successfully pivot from deep-throating vegetables to delivering devastating protest anthems – Moriarty nails it. This piece is crying out for more ambitious post-Fringe production: colourful stuffed objects decorate the small stage but are tantalisingly underused, and Fempath deserves more space to move out from her keyboard.

Underbelly Bristo Square until 30 Aug
tw rating 4/5 | [Bizz Holmes]