The stage is bare apart from five microphones on stands at the front and a blurred projection on the far wall. Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti enters. In silhouette, she is a dramatic sharp-edged shape whispering hello to us. Gradually the sound and light build and a tune begins: melodic piano, gentle singing (music by Gary Shepherd). The projected image gains clarity and starts to move, very slowly. It’s a scene from Rossellini’s 1945 film Roma, Città Aperta, the moment when Anna Magnani runs forward, falls and dies. This provides the theme for the series of songs, speeches and movement phrases that follow. Death is always at the door; the protagonist is a tragic figure.

As the show progresses, a variety of women’s stories are sung or given form through movement. Ibelisse is constantly arresting and an excellent all-rounder. Less satisfying is the structure and content of the piece, which became a confusing mismatch of the profound and trite, its style veering from loud to extremely loud to quiet. Whilst the flyer notes that all the women are tragic victims, there seemed to be no interrogation of why, no context to explain their behaviour – particularly pertinent in the case of Medea. Without more substance, 1:Songs lacked impact beyond the physical and technical fireworks.