Frances Ruffelle: Beneath the Dress

She mixes old music hall – “Hold your hand out, you naughty boy” – with Brecht and Kurt Weill (directions to the next whisky bar are not something she needs) and a good dollop of bluesy jazz and bar room ballads.

I love her husky, openly seductive voice, but as a cabaret turn she is in constant search of a dramatic role; and Frances the musical theatre actress is something we’ve seen too little of lately.

Still, she gives great value in her hour-long set, and she has a good band, too, though the pianist seems to have forgotten to change out of his pyjamas. At the Ghillie Dhu, you could see Straker, then have a decent dinner, and then see Frances: not a bad festival outing.