Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris

… Or to be more precise, alive in Parramatta and Mittagong, thanks to Miranda Musical Society’s very professionally performed production. Deftly and economically directed by Geraldine Turner, the performers invoke the wide span of themes and emotions Brel managed to write about in his relatively short life – he died in 1978 at the age of 49.

From lost love to family relationships; from old age to military service, Brel’s songs not only pulled on the heart strings but reflected a society that needed to care more and reach out more widely to those around them. They lost none of this in the careful translation into English made by Eric Blau and Mort Schuman – and this collection of his work exemplifies both his skillful composition and his ability to write lyrics that told a story as well.

Turner’s wide experience in all aspects of theatre is evident in clever blocking, precise choreography and evocative vocal phrasing and control, as the six performers – Anne Marie Fanning, Andrew Symes, Gavin Leahy, Margaret Short, Jennifer Parbery and Tim Wotherspoon ­– bring Brel’s work into the present with class and poise. From Alone to The Bulls to Ne Me Quitte Pas to the harrowing Next and the dizzying Carousel, they make Brel’s music live vibrantly.

Projected images that conjure both the settings of the songs and the atmosphere they suggest, Bob Peet’s austere black and red set and Tim Dennis’s lighting combine to give the perfect setting for the production and the musicians – James Court, Gary Searle and Thomas Waller led by the much-experienced Mark Cranston Reid – provide a fine accompaniment.

This is a tight, beautifully styled production by performers who have the vocal range and power to make Brel’s music ring with the emotion it deserves.

Carol Wimmer