REVIEW: Kate Rusby at Kings Theatre, Southsea

Her set contained songs from throughout her career and included some of her fans’ favourites: Sir Eglamore the opening song on her debut album, Hourglass, and I Courted a Sailor from Little Lights.

She played many songs from her latest album Life In A Paper Boat; the title track is a poignant song voicing the trials of Syrian refugees on their perilous journeys to safety.

It was almost as though she sang The Ardent Shepherdess and I’ll Be Wise to me, aimed at educating young girls – her two daughters in particular – in the dangers or young men.

The Pace Egging Song educated the Portsmouth people in Yorkshire Easter traditions and Kate, as always, was very chatty between songs including funny home-life anecdotes and tales of life on tour.

Big Brave Bill began life as a bedtime story about a Yorkshire Tea-drinking Barnsley superhero. It is a delightful, catchy song which had the audience singing along. His adventures are now recalled in song and online via his own website!

The final song, the beautiful Underneath The Stars, was a lovely way to send people out into the night.