Baroness Bianka's Bloodsongs

Joanna Weinberg writes such clever songs that it leaves you wanting to press rewind and re-listen to the lyrics to drink them in. Her latest musical is a wicked one woman cabaret about a spooky character with a fetish for blood.

Baroness Bianka sniffs the audience members, lustily trying to guess what their blood types are.

Just as a passionate wine expert (red of course ) could swish around the drink and name the brand, she too has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the make-up of man-made claret.

Every juicy angle is covered. She relishes that time of the month, itches to dig her nails into her lovers,  swoons to the masochism tango and channels  Lady Macbeth.

She also sings nicely, plays the accordion with panache and speaks with a delightful eastern European lisp. She pulls it off assisted only by musician Mark Ginsburg on the saxophone and other instruments.

It’s almost not fair that one person can have so many strings to her bow.

I have enjoyed two of Joanna Weinberg’s other recently completed musicals – Every Single Saturday and Lifeforce.

The subjects – Soccer Mums and Dads, going through IVF and now a bloody thirsty cabaret are notably different in style and subject matter. All three had moments in them which tickle the funny bones of musical theatre lovers by seamlessly blending the words and music to the drama of the occasion.

What she is missing is a collaborator and a story which hits a more popular chord to bring her talents to a wider audience.

David Spicer