Prinnie Stevens knows how to interpret legendary female singers. It’s not a easy fete to capture and deliver the soul of such talented and masterful divas but in Lady Sings The Blues Volume 2 Stevens once again shines with each and every note. Bringing to life songs of a by gone era from greats such as Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, this time adding recent legendary singers like Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner and more.

I saw the original show a few years back and I said “I hope its not her last time at Fringe!” Three seasons later she’s still performing at Fringe and we are all the better for it! She came on stage and started singing “This is a mans world!… Tonight’s not a mans world!” Indeed it wasn’t! While telling us that she was “pissed off with a man right now!” two men walked in late to the show prompting Stevens to comment with a sarcastic cheeky tone “Welcome sir!”

When Prinnie Stevens sings it’s pure soulful magic. Tonight was no different. You couldn’t help but be enraptured by her performance. Singing the classics like Summertime by Billie Holiday or the gospel hymn of Amazing Grace she felt every note, every lyric, every bit of pain in every song. As she said “It’s Sunday so I’m taking you to church!” We sure did get a sermon, one of the blues kind!

Along with song we were told in story the trials and tribulations of these iconic legends. Stevens sang their songs with her own soulfulness and charm while also respecting and honouring the essence of each artist. She gets them. She understands. She makes us understand. When she sang Tina Turner’s I Can’t Stand the Rain we felt the pain. When she sang Nina Simone’s Felling Good we knew how she felt. When she sang My Island Home we cried (ok maybe it was just me but I’m sure there were others!).

Prinnie Stevens was just a lady in front of a microphone and a piano singing the blues. She made us feel, she made us laugh, she made us ponder and she made us cry. It was a masterclass of storytelling and song at its absolute finest!