Review: IN BETWEEN THE VERSES REVIEWED BY LOTTIE BUTCHER at Bats Theatre

In Between the Verses is so much more than a cabaret of songs stitched together with stories. It's an honest, funny and deeply personal reminder of what it takes to pursue a creative dream when the world keeps telling you to choose the "sensible" option.

For every person who told Emma Rutherford to "turn your mic down", or "go to teachers' college", she answered by writing another song, booking another gig, and refusing to let someone else define her success. Her story is refreshingly honest. There are no overnight successes here just unpaid gigs, knockbacks, self-doubt, awkward audience members, and the relentless determination to keep showing up anyway.

Rutherford's original songs are heartfelt, her storytelling is warm and self-deprecating, and her humour keeps the audience laughing even through the more vulnerable moments. Supported beautifully by pianist Ben Kelly, the performance feels intimate, authentic and sincere. 

What makes In Between the Verses so compelling is that it isn't really about "making it" in the music industry. It's about backing yourself when nobody else does. It's about choosing courage over certainty, creativity over comfort, and continuing to create even when success feels just out of reach.

This is a love letter to every creative who has questioned whether to keep going. It reminds us that success is rarely a straight line; it's messy, uncertain, filled with rejection, unexpected victories, and the resilience to keep putting yourself out there.

Emma Rutherford isn't waiting for someone to hand her an opportunity she's creating her own, and we are in the room with her witnessing it. She's stepping into the spotlight, telling her story on her own terms, and proving that believing in yourself can be the bravest act of all.

I went for the live music, I left wondering if I should be a little braver with my own dreams.

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