It’s been quite an adventure for Horse McDonald, the legendary Scottish singer songwriter. She’s no stranger to performing in front of packed houses, but that was when her music did the talking. CAREFUL has been a bit different. The play, which sold out its Edinburgh Fringe venue last summer, is her own life story – a poignant tale of a young Lanarkshire girl with the growing knowledge that she was different; that she was a lesbian.

Not that she had any of that figured out as a child who simply didn’t fit in, and was bullied at school despite a secure family background. In the play she’s frank about her doubts and fears, and about her family. She knew her father talked to her mother about ‘doing something with her’. “I never wanted to embarrass him because he was the burgh surveyor, and my mother, well she just wanted to keep the peace all round. I suppose we lived our lives in separate bubbles.”

Music and that soaring, unmistakable voice was her salvation. She was the first openly gay singer signed by Capitol records and reflects, ruefully, that they weren’t quite sure how to market her. CAREFUL covers all these bases in a series of highly personal stories moulded into a one hour play by the redoubtable writer and comedian Lyn Ferguson whose California based storytelling school, Youtellyours.com gave Horse the prompting and confidence to share her experiences.

“And I think what’s made it work is that all those experiences, the bullying, the teenage angst, the uncertainties are common to many people everywhere and whoever they are.”

The blue chip line-up is completed by director Maggie Kinloch who’s been artistic director of several theatres in addition to recently retiring from her role as deputy director of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Maggie and Horse have a Q&A with the audience in the show’s second half which also features several Horse songs.

“The first 27 night run in Edinburgh was terrifying,” Horse admits. “I’d never done anything like that before, never had to stay in the one place on stage! But with this tour I feel I’ve really grown in confidence; I’m flying now!”

So much so that she’s being persuaded that her acting career needn’t stop at playing herself, although on that front she’s midway through her autobiography too, promised to a publisher this summer. However folks in this neck of the woods don’t have to wait for the book – they can watch her live telling her story from nervous teenage songstress to the woman who has toured with the likes of Tina Turner, Burt Bacharach, Bryan Ferry and BB King as well as her solo shows.

CAREFUL plays for one night only on Saturday May the 6th at Cove Burgh Hall which will give us the chance to find out just why it got a hatful of awards when it premiered last summer and has won standing ovations on its first national tour. (Cove Burgh Hall 8pm. Tickets £10; book at coveburghhall.uk or buy on the door, and at Kilcreggan Post Office and Cove Village Store.)