Jacques Brel is alive and well and living in Paris

NewSpace Theatre, 44 Long Street, Cape Town

January 15 to February 13

The cast, from left: Chrissy Caine, David Chevers, Daneel Uys, Graham
Clarke

If you like a little musical nostalgia you are sure to enjoy this long-awaited revival of the 1970¹s hit musical revue Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

This show really has its moments! With each new number it seemed we were at a different show. That worked sometimes; at other times it was a bit of a let down. When it was good, it was so so good; when it was bad, it was okay.

The rendition of Carousal was a particular delight. Now it is hard to get it out of my mind’s eye and ear.

Something didn’t work for me about the pairing of the male leads. When one was on stage alone, you could appreciate his youthful energy, even arrogance, or his skilled portrayal of bawdiness or sadness at the passing of time, but when they were together somehow they showed each other up.

But the ladies, ahhh the ladies … they were stunning and beautifully matched, while being appealing and impressive in very different ways, the sexy (!) offsetting the stylish and sultry; and the funny and the feisty complementing the feminine.

The show is based on the 2006 Off-Broadway show at the Zipper Theatre in New York. The late great Taubie Kushlick introduced this showcase of Brel’s work to South African audiences at the Chelsea Theatre in Hillbrow.

The show ran for more than two decades in various forms and ultimately became Mrs Kushlick¹s signature production, one for which she will always be remembered.

The cast at the NewSpace is headed by British singer Chrissy Caine, who returns to South Africa from the UK after an absence of many years and who was recently seen alongside Amra-Faye Wright onstage in Aqua Abba at the Waterfront. She is joined by veteran performer and iconic South African actor Graham Clarke, as well as David Chevers and Daneel Uys.

The South African revival is directed by Colin Law and Dean Roberts,
with musical staging by Trish Mckenna and lighting by Jane Gosnell.

Booking is at Computicket, tickets cost from R145 each (ask about Monday’s Buy One Get One Free nights)

More info: website