Reviewed by: The Clothesline
Review by Louise Adele | 20 March 2024

[MUSIC/Cabaret ~ JPN]

The Raven’s Tale: Murder Ballads and Dark Dramas
The Warehouse Theatre, Fri 15 Mar 2024.

Set in an intimate candlelit space in the cosy Warehouse Theatre, this performance is as much about
atmostphere as it is about musicality. The stage has a simple setup: a stool, a small table adorned with a
ceramic human skull and beside it, a guitar stand. The air is thick with whispering anticipation.

Enter Sorcha…

This storyteller-songstress has an esoteric flare about her – much like Florence Welch or PJ Harvey – as
she introduces herself and the melodic and morbid path she will take us down.
Sorcha’s setlist opens with a haunting rendition of Leadbelly’s ‘In The Pines’ in which we’re transported into
the 1940s Deep South with her authentic accented vocals. Channeling characters from dark folklore
throughout her ballads, she goes on to impart rare historical tales of death and passion in between songs.

This gig delivered so much more than you could anticipate. Sorcha traverses landscapes and characters
seamlessly with a stunning vocal style that transports her audience into a series of fables and truths in full
colour – a history lesson not to miss!