Christine Bovill: Christine Bovill’s Piaf
Christine Bovill
Christine Bovill’s Piaf
Wilton’s Music Hall, London, U.K., April 16, 2016
Reviewed by Mychelle Colleary for Cabaret Scenes
This show had been on my “to see” list for a while, ever since its splash debut in Edinburgh at the Festival Fringe in 2011, and several subsequent runs in both London and Edinburgh. But, boy, am I happy I got to see this rare gem of a performance piece in a space that has in equal measure as much soul and history as the show itself: Wilton’s Music Hall (built in the early 19th century, a great many original features remaining).
Christine Bovill’s Piaf is just that: Bovill’s research, her insight, her loving and honorable tribute to her most impactful childhood fascination turned inspiration culminated into this distinctive, deeply personal performance piece. As a teenager, precocious Bovill was known as a lover of 1920s and ’30s jazz. She was given an album of Piaf singing (one side in English, one side in French). After wearing out the English side, she switched to the French. The soul-wrenching sound of Piaf’s fully committed singing inspired a love of the French language and a desire to really get to know Piaf.
The result is this former French-teacher-now-singer paying tribute not only to Piaf, but to the tragedies that fueled Piaf’s provocative performances.
Going into this show, I didn’t think there was much I didn’t know about Piaf and her life. I had a solid general understanding—I’ve read books, seen the movies. But Bovill’s dedication to her subject provided insight and a perspective not previously encountered.
Bovill is a husky voiced, impish looking, Glaswegian-accented Scottish lass. She looks nothing like Piaf. She does, however, have that same very fast tremolo vibrato with phrasing and pronunciation reminiscent of Piaf. However, Bovill’s unique and compelling gift to the audience is her invitation to listen to these well-known songs more deeply. She entices the audience with a synopsis of the French lyrics before beginning some songs, and then uses her face and body to emphasize each song’s story.
And while these are powerful performance attributes themselves, the true genius of this show is Bovill using historical anecdotes to convey the mindset of Piaf when she made these songs famous. Bovill aptly uses Piaf’s personal tragedies (and ephemeral moments of happiness) as a subtext to fuel the emotional intent of each song. It’s as if you’re truly hearing well-known songs like “La vie en rose” and “Non, je ne regrette rien” for the first time.
M.D. Michael Roulston’s impeccable support on piano pales only to the exquisite attention and subsequent subtle reaction he pays to Bovill. The visceral impact is believing Roulston himself is hearing the anecdotes for the first time, enhancing the magic of what already feels like a very bespoke experience.
The result is a more holistic understanding of Piaf’s artistic contribution wrapped in bijoux evening of exquisitely crafted song delivery. As such, this show would appeal to both diehard Piaf fans and the uninitiated. If you can manage to see it in an historic space, such as Wilton’s, do it! That said, any space (or street corner) would do.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, London, London Cabaret Reviews, Regional
