A voice to dazzle and a smile to light up the night, what a lovely, engaging show this was.

Courtney Hough is a musical theatre graduate of the Australian Institute of Music and brought her many talents into this one woman show in which she featured as singer, actor, and writer.

The overall theme of the performance was of how a twenty-something singleton copes with life’s tribulations, particularly the dating scene but also the other little challenges that confront us every day. Most of the tales were delivered as songs which showcased her great voice and stage craft. The witty and the heartfelt, the poignant and the zany all featured. And between songs it was a kind of cross between stand up comedy and some more earnest insights.

Judging by her performance here, it may be that Courtney’s comedic skills will one day surpass her singing ability because her droll and understated style, at once both likeable and accessible, was a delight.

Courtney brought the guitar out at one point but mostly she was accompanied by the very able ‘Mr Wilson’ on keyboards who not only contributed with his relaxed and accomplished tinkling but also supplied the occasional apposite rejoinder.

The major disappointment of the evening was that so few people were able to see Courtney’s show with the inclement weather and the Covid restrictions reducing the audience for her weekend shows to a mere sprinkling of the lucky few.

Courtney deserves so much more. Let’s hope we get the chance to see her perform in future editions of FRINGE WORLD, or in anything around town in the coming months.