From Broken Hill to the bright lights of the cabaret stage, this powerhouse performer is bringing cheek, charm, and a whole lot of love to a Christmas classic.
AUSTRALIAN stage mainstay Libby O’Donovan OAM can’t remember a time when she wasn’t singing.
“I grew up in the church,” she said. “It’s a really good place to start because you’re often singing without really knowing that you’re singing!”
From those early harmonies with her sister in Broken Hill to talent quests and eisteddfods, music has always been stitched into her DNA.
Fast-forward to now, and O’Donovan is one of the shining stars of Christmas Actually—a cabaret-style stage celebration of the beloved film Love Actually. The show, produced by Little Red Company, has become a festive institution touring across the country.
Ironically, when she first got the gig, she hadn’t even seen Love Actually.
“When you watch it twenty years after it came out, it hits a bit differently,” she laughed. “But people love it—it’s nostalgic, it’s about love, and that’s really what Christmas is all about.”
On stage, O’Donovan brings her trademark cabaret flair—razor-sharp wit, powerhouse vocals, and a knack for making every audience feel like old friends.
“It’s not the same show every night,” she said. “Something happens in the audience, and I’ll chat about it, go off script—it’s real, spontaneous, and that’s what makes it exciting.”
Her favourite number to perform?
“Definitely Norah Jones’s Turn Me On—it’s such a banger,” she said.
And the least favourite?
“There’s one by the Sugababes… some people love it, some people don’t, but that’s what makes it fun! You can see the divide in the crowd.”
Beyond the laughs and cheek, Christmas Actually hits all the right emotional notes.
“Around that time of year, people have so much going on—family, love, loss, stress, joy,” she says. “This show reminds everyone that at its heart, Christmas is about connection and togetherness.”
With her infectious energy, velvet vocals, and a heart as warm as a mulled wine, Libby O’Donovan is proving that love and Christmas—actually—is all around.
Christmas Actually plays for one night only on December 13 at Logan Entertainment Centre with tickets available at Logan Arts.
