Camille sings
Brel (Changed Venue. Not listed in Fringe Brochure)
Music Songs of Jacques Brel
Performer Camille O'Sullivan
Venue The famous Spiegeltent (Venue 87)
Reviewer Iain Gilmour
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Camille O'Sullivan |
Camille O'Sullivan belted out the songs
of Jacques Brel with a fervour
and artistry that conjured up an enthusiastic response from a lucky sell-out
audience.
The audience were lucky in more ways than one. Lucky to hear such an outstanding performance. And lucky to
hear it at all as Camille was left without a place to sing when her original
venue disappeared on the eve of the Festival.
Originally set to perform for the full three weeks of the Fringe, she was
fortunate in being offered two other venues, with different time slots, but
only for two of the three weeks.
Her act was altogether more sophisticated than the other Brel
offering on this year's Fringe. No doubt this could partly be due to the
composition of her backing group but in the main it was down to a more
introspective performance.
The Belgian singer and songwriter was noted for his
earthy view of life and sombre outlook on death. Camille
switched from temptress to lover, down and out or drunkard as she voiced sound
pictures of sex, love, drunkenness and despair.
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Camille sings Brel |
There was obvious insight and enjoyment
as she sang. Between songs she chatted quietly to the audience before bursting
into another display of her wide vocal range -- both in tone and volume -- and
understanding of Brel.
Her repertoire included lesser-known Brel songs as
well as those well-known.
Camille ended with a low-key version of Le Moribund, written by Brel in knowledge of his incurable cancer (and, in a bastardised English version, a hit for Terry Jacks). It was
almost unbearably poignant.
© Iain Gilmour