"Runaway!" cried Hazel O'Connor, opening her much-anticipated, animated and inspirational set. Immediately explaining that her mother had left her violent father when she was merely eight years old, with herself and her brother following, this candid confession set the tone for such a highly personal evening. It was peppered with intimate details, humour and key events which had influenced her musical offerings. Opening her heart, she told us of how at 16 years of age she had escaped Coventry and a rape, seeking a wild time in Amsterdam as a dancer and then dodged bombings in Beirut. Returning to England, she found herself forced to sign a record deal which did not favour her own fortunes. This inspired the electronic sound of the anti-establishment song, "Monsters in Disguise." Sharing with us that she had read a self-help guide before the audition for "Breaking Glass" – giving her the confidence to get the leading role – we were transported back to the days of Margaret Thatcher..

“This year marks the 35th anniversary of cult film, and its accompanying soundtrack of the same name, Breaking Glass. The film stars Hazel O'Connor, who also wrote and performed the platinum selling soundtrack, as Kate, a punk rock singer and charters her rise (and fall) to fame. Originally released in 1980, the film's soundtrack spawned two several hit singles, including classics like 'Will You?' and 'Eighth Day', while the album reached Number Five. 35 years later and O'Connor is going out on tour to celebrate the film's impact on her life. The show will feature a re-mastered uncut viewing of the film, a live acoustic show of the soundtrack and a Q&A with O'Connor herself. To mark the occasion we caught up with O'Connor to talk about Breaking Glass, touring, feminism and the state of the music industry today...”

“Not just for Hazelnuts. It’s not only that Hazel O’Connor hasn’t shaken off her breakthrough performance as actor and songwriter in Breaking Glass, it’s also that her career has never really recovered from poor management and contract decisions back then. Will You, for example, that heartfelt Top 10 song, might have generated £85,000, but those funds sat untouchable for years due to disputed credits. When they finally emerged from royalty hell, legal costs had largely eroded them away. O’Connor recounts this – alongside a swathe of gut-wrenching events that saw her violated in body and in spirit, as both a person and as an artiste – sometimes with a philosophical eye (“I have no money, but I’m rich in friendship”) and at other times with justified bitterness. Breaking Glass Barefoot is a page-turning book of lows and highs, but it’s not just a good read because of the hard times described; it’s compelling because O’Connor rises above what life throws at her”

“Hazel O’Connor has lived ‘up in the hills’ of County Wicklow for around 25 years now, based just under an hour from Dublin. She has Irish roots, Hazel’s Dad having left Galway for Coventry, where he worked at a local car plant and she spent her formative years. There’s clearly a love for her adopted home and its ‘beautiful scenery’, and early on in our telephone call she asked if I’d visited...”

“Actress, singer, writer; Hazel O’Connor has been busy since Breaking Glass catapulted her to fame in 1980. Yet there will be some who would ask her what she’s been doing for the past thirty-odd years. “It’s strange isn’t it? If you’re not in the public eye you must be doing nothing. I’ve been working, although not so publicly. I ended up fighting with my record company and made the decision that I was going to continue doing what I loved, but I found that you can’t do as well without corporate support. Of course, the big corporations have gone themselves now, unless you’re the latest sensation from off the X Factor.””

“Hazel O'Connor first burst into public consciousness in 1980 playing Kate, the feisty rock singer-songwriter in the cult film, ‘Breaking Glass’. Within months, Hazel - who had also composed and performed the film's soundtrack - had achieved iconic status with the younger generation. And, to director Brian Gibson's delight, the film won a series of awards and nominations - including best actor and best film score for Hazel - and was widely acclaimed both at Cannes and in London. A double platinum ‘Breaking Glass album’ followed with sell-out tours - and, at the age of 25, Hazel O'Connor's career was rocketing skywards.”

“5 STAR *****Review of BEYOND BREAKING GLASS IF nothing else, regular Fringe goers at the Pleasance Courtyard will appreciate Hazel O’Connor’s autobiographical ‘one woman show’ Beyond Breaking Glass for her wonderful musician Cormac de Barra’s harp accompaniment.”

“One of my vivid childhood memories is of stomping around my parents’ garden as a twelve year old singing Hazel O’Connor’s smash hit Eighth Day while the family cat roamed around and looked at me bemused. Not being averse to seeing artists I admired in my youth, I was delighted to discover recently that O’Connor was going to be playing a mile or so from my front door. O’Connor’s Breaking Glass and Greatest Hits tour has been doing the rounds for about two years now. Some of my friends had seen her perform last year in London but I did not hear any details about the show from them so I was unsure what to expect.”

“New Wave artist and actress Hazel O’Connor is returning to the stage to celebrate the release of her autobiography, LTW took the opportunity to speak to Hazel about the film and its continuing resonance. The Coventry-born singer song writer, most notable for starring in and writing the soundtrack to Breaking Glass [released in 1980], is embarking on her Greatest Hits tour. The performances will also commemorate the DVD release of the British made film, which depicts the socioeconomical and political issues surrounding the 80s, and tells the story of what life was like rising to pop fame at that time as a struggling, female anarchist. "€œSadly, I think the film and songs have become more relevant today", says Hazel…"€œI would never have thought I’d be saying that now because it was a very political time in England."”

“Beyond Breaking Glass is an original piece which was specially written for the Edinburgh Festival 1998. It traces Hazel's history from before Breaking Glass right up to the present day, using dialogue, songs, slides and puppets. The performances is a gripping story but also serves as a warning to anyone intending a career in the music industry. The truth will out in the end.”

“Hazel O'Connor sings acoustic, returning to her soul folk-roots in a captivating, intimate performance with celebrated Irish harpist Cormac De Barra. O' Connor’s husky voice remains charged with passion and her wicked sense of humour is ever present. No show is complete without her original classics Will You, D-Days and Eighth Day or her new classics Rebecca, Driftwood, I'm Still Breathing and Acoustically Yours. The combination of De Barra’s harp with the familiar silken gravel of Hazel’s voice is truly magical. ...Sumptuous songs with a soulful, introspective lyrical depth…helped by Cormac De Barra’s exquisite harp...seamless forays into pop blues and soul”

“I was reliably informed by my companion on entering the Universal Arts Theatre that Hazel O'Connor was set to be the female Bowie, absolutely massive, but still cool and credible.”

“Every year one fringe shows stands out from the rest. This year, streets ahead of the mediocre stand-up and would-be sell-outs, was one of the most genuine shows I have seen in a long time ... Beyond Breaking Glass establishes Hazel O'Connor as much more than an 80s icon. If anything, her voice is richer now and stronger, her acting quietly observed and intimate, and if you ever get a chance to see her don't think twice ... just go!”