Over the Rainbow - The Eva Cassidy story, Dartford's Orchard Theatre, Thursday to Sunday, September 15 to 17

by Keith Hunt

Can there be a more frustrating and desperately sad story than songbird Eva Cassidy's?

She was virtually unknown outside her native Washington DC, she cruelly died of a melanoma in 1996 at the age of 33 and was then paradoxically "discovered" by Sir Terry Wogan four years later.

So it was that her Songbird album then posthumously topped the charts, outstripping the likes of Madonna and Robbie Williams, along with surely the best rendition of Over the Rainbow.

Pretty well everything she has recorded has since been released for her legions of fans.

Watching Over the Rainbow - The Eva Cassidy story at The Orchard Theatre in Dartford, the impression was given that this diffident country girl from a musical family probably wouldn't have welcomed such universal fame.

She also had her own ideas about her music, be it country, blues, gospel, folk, jazz or pop, and refused to be pulled in any particular direction to get to the top.

Sarah Jane Buckley's portrayal of Eva is a revelation. Who would have thought the Hollyoaks actress could master the singer's unique vocals?

Buckley, 43, is actually an accomplished vocalist who spent months studying Cassidy's nuances, perfecting her different breathing technique, to put her spot on for the 23 songs she performs in the show.

One of four children, Cassidy's childhood is portrayed as being largely unremarkable, apart from tense stand-offs over her music with her stern retired schoolteacher father. There was no great love affair, just an adoring mentor in Chris Biondo.

Her German-born mother Barbara, ably mirrored by Maureen Nolan, is a source of comfort and support, as are her siblings, one of whom is played by Brian Fortuna, from Strictly Come Dancing, in his acting debut.

Apart from the audience being entreated to yeeha in one rare comical scene, the focus is, of course, on the music and Buckley navigates her way through the best known songs, including Fields of Gold, Songbird, Autumn Leaves, Kathy's Song, Imagine, Wade in the Water, People Get Ready and the crowd pleasing Over the Rainbow.

Cassidy had an unerring knack of performing other artist's songs and, as it is often tiresomely said on X-Factor, making them her own. Buckley captured that magic perfectly.

My only criticism would be that the final moments of Cassidy's so short life was far too drawn out and painful to watch, especially for anybody who has lost a loved one to such a cruel disease. A last song or encore was badly needed to lift the audience again.

That said, Over the Rainbow is a poignant tale that will help to ensure the memory of a great performer lives on. It's just a great pity she never reached her crock of gold.

Over the Rainbow - The Eva Cassidy Story is on at Tunbridge Wells' Assembly Hall Theatre on Thursday, October 13.