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Fiona Mountford's rating
, Brel's brilliance captured
By
Fiona Mountford
7 Jan 2008
If you are one of the notoriously obsessive fans of late singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, one of those elusive five famous Belgians, you probably caught this show on its Boxing Day opening.
I've personally always preferred la douce France of Charles Trenet but there can be no denying that Anthony Cable gives Brel's memorable music and skilful lyrics some mighty emotional clout in this solo show.
Writer/director Judith Paris has Brel do what all stars tend to in these onstage situations, namely reminisce from a near-death vantage point. It's a notoriously tricky path to navigate, between the Scylla of excess autobiography and Charybdis of under-explanation, and here the noodling between songs tends to the whimsical.
"What is love?" asks Brel, mercifully with no 'Allo 'Allo-type accent. "What is art?" As for his increasingly tangled personal life: "Oh woman, the devourer of men."
But the songs are the thing and Cable provides 15 of the more than 400 that Brel wrote, sung with remarkable passion in both French and English. Aficionados tend to get antsy when Brel is given the Anglophone treatment but Cable has supplied some sensitive translations. Perennial favourites Madeleine and Ne Me Quitte Pas are sensibly left untouched.
• Until 13 January (0870 033 2733, www.newendtheatre.co.uk).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (4)
I admit that the first time I went, it was initially because there was not much else to do, in terms of theatre, on a Sunday. I still am in awe of the great performance that Mr. Cable gave. This northern lad not only made me tango (not literally), but also weep quietly sometimes. It was all fascinating indeed, including the spoken text between the songs. I loved the translation of "Jacky", which might not have been as close to the original as Scott Walker's version, but clever in its own right.
I came back for seconds (from Germany, yes) and I'm glad I did. The contrast of emotions contained in those fifteen songs, along with Cable's intense performance was an experience I'm glad I hadn't missed.
- Tania Danilenko, Cologne, Germany, 13/01/2008 23:14
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The "whimsical noodling" between songs was actually made up almost
entirely of actual quotes from Jacques Brel himself. The script was mostly an
organisation of Brel's own words. I, for one, found it fascinating to hear the composer's own thoughts on art, love and death. And even with my minimal
grasp of French. I loved hearing the songs in their original language (and was
grateful for the songs that were in English!)
- Valda, London, England, 10/01/2008 11:58
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Good musical performance from Mr Cable. As for the story line, the fact that this never came to life was not Mr Cable's fault as much as it was the script's -- which tries unsuccessfully to be much cleverer than it is (and it is too dense and wooden). Aside from that, this kind of reminiscence is something so far from anything Brel would have done that as a whole the production lacks any authenticity. Just go for the songs, listen to your walkman during the rest. And why were the musicians awkwardly hidden away offstage?
- Jjs, London, 08/01/2008 10:54
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Saw the show on 6 Jan with two French friends. We all loved it, myself as it was a particular pleasure to witness a hero of mine (origins NE England) perform in wonderfully melodic and passionate French, and my friends who enjoyed it so much they forgave the occasional lack of rolling R's. And congratulations naturally to the musicians and rest of the team. A tour de force from Mr C. Bravo.
I may well return to New End before the end of the run.
- Patricia Hodgson, London, England, 07/01/2008 13:34
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