The enigmatic Rufus Wainwright put on a fantastical cabaret style show to remember at the Eden Project on Tuesday (10 July).

The flamboyant star’s set was a beautiful exhibition that saw him run through a spectrum of emotions as smoothly as his hands scaled the length of his grand piano.

He paid tribute to the serene and magical setting in which he was performing – stating it was an inspiration to him – particularly when choosing his closing song, ‘Hallelujah’. His version of the Jeff Buckley/Leonard Cohen classic enraptured the crowd, leaving them utterly silenced by its end. Surely there is no other song that has the power to unify an audience like 'Hallelujah'?!

What makes Wainwright so special is his unrelenting talent at putting a glamorous, glossy veneer over his lyrical content – which is obviously spawned from his own trials and tribulations (famously, he was a crystal meth addict). His heartfelt sentiment and emotional integrity throughout the set was reciprocated by the crowd who whistled and cheered ecstatically at every opportunity.

The show reached a memorable climax as Wainwright came onstage for the encore dressed in a white robe, which he quickly took off, revealing a small black mini-skirt and high heels. The crowd looked on in amazement as this pint sized, sexually ambiguous enigma burst into a mesmerising cover of Judy Garland’s ‘Get Happy’, capping off what is surely one of Eden's most memorable gigs yet. (Patrick Stileman).

Check out these pics from the gig, © Chris Mannell:

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