“Kate Richards, a singer with a bubbly, elfin quality, heaps of showmanship and an engaging smile, did great justice to the Duffy hit Mercy, which has become a great favourite on the circuit. She followed this with a beautiful and sensitively-rendered version of Run, in the style of Leona Lewis. The backing track got stuck, but she was not fazed and got out of the glitch very professionally.
Unfortunately, her final track would not play either, but she left the stage with dignity, helped by considerable audience sympathy.
With the room very much on her side, Kate Richards was then invited back to perform her last number. Technical problem sorted, she proved herself a real trouper by belting out a song called Defying Gravity from the show Wicked. As expected, she delivered another faultless vocal, this time in musical theatre-style.”