Rosie Clarke

Paloma Faith knows how to make a theatrical entrance. 

Marking the 10 year anniversary of her first album Made of Bricks, Kate Nash packed the Concorde with an audience that was at least 80 per cent female, many wearing sequins; all ready to party.

★★★★

“Carte Noir! Carte Noir!” Tony Law chanted hypnotically, shrouded in a long black cape like a bat, lurching from side to side and lunging in his baggy pirate trousers.

What is the nearest sensation to being a bird that a human can feel … without surgery?

Illyria’s entertaining production was a perfect show for Brighton’s new open-air theatre, and the cheerful local community spread out picnics, enjoyed ice creams in the sunshine and donned fleeces once the sun went down.

Gazing across the audience as singer Lisa Abbott and a ten-piece band recreated the seminal 1985 album Hounds Of Love in its entirety, it became clear that there is a huge appetite to hear the songs of Kate Bush.

“Somebody told me I’d be playing in a horse stable!” Gregory Porter chuckled, gesturing appreciatively around the sold-out Dome.

There is only one band that can elicit screams of excitement by walking on stage to the sound of a string quartet playing the sombre hymn O Sacred Head Sore Wounded.

You don’t have to be a dog-lover to enjoy this show, though you may be by the end. Entering the theatre space was a slow process, as friendly performer Victoria Melody and her dog greeted everyone individually as they came in.