Details

A theatrical cabaret, celebrating Brel's timeless relevance and enduring passions. Almost 30 years after his death, the romantic lyricism of Jacques Brel's songs has not lost the power to send shivers down the spine of an audience. Described as being as poetic as Bob Dylan, as introspective as John Lennon and as virile as Bruce Springsteen, Brel's acute perception made him an innovative and creative painter of daily life with rare poetic ease. A long-time standard of cabaret artists, South African performer Claire Watling is probably one of the few women in the world to perform a whole show of Brel classics. Claire, with Godfrey Johnson (pianist and musical arrangement) bring an edge to a show that pays homage to the original while offering a fresh and contemporary perspective. The show is a diverse blend of musical styles and, with raw human emotion, each piece tells a story examining themes of love, war, adventure, broken dreams, being young, growing old and death...but never forgetting that life, with all its tragedies and complexities, shows us much humour. The show has been performed in South Africa to rave reviews and has received 3 Fleur du Cap Awards after its performances in 2007. It is directed by renowned director Geoffrey Hyland. The show runs for 1hr 10mins with no interval.

Cast/Performers

Claire Watling, Godfrey Johnson (piano)

Creatives/Company

Producer: Cockpit (in association with J. Kenneth Lipinski and Jermyn Street Theatre)
Director: Geoffrey Hyland
Costume: Dicky Longhurst
Musical Director: Godfrey Johnson