Jane Avril was the original poster girl. She was made an icon of Belle Epoque Paris cabaret life by none other than artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec when he captured her unconventional trademark style of dance in the popular posters of the time.
Glasgow based Birds of Paradise Theatre Company has lifted the red velvet curtains of the Pigalle’s famous Moulin Rouge to give a glimpse of this woman’s life and what went to make her the person she was.
Jane was born in Belleville as Jeanne Beaudon to a prostitute mother who was both cruel and destructive to her, trying to groom the pre-pubescent Jane in the secrets of her profession. As a girl, Jane was ill with chorea, a disorder involving involuntary movements known as St Vitus’ Dance, for which she was committed to the Salpêtrière Hospital. Here she was treated by Professor Charcot who is spite of his own lack of terpsichorean skills (only being able to dance with deux pieds dans un sabot!) prescribed, alongside hypnotism and some cattle prodding, dance lessons that were to allow her some future liberation in spite of being surrounded by despair and debauchery. Jane’s habit of running away, at times right to the edge, is formed early in her life and a result of the cruelty and psychological destruction of her particular mother/ daughter relationship.
A series of five distorted window frames that serve as screens are positioned around the stage and are backgrounds for projections of Parisian life, Burlesque scenes over time, Lautrec paintings and most poignantly images of les hystériques. One also is host to the script and musical score’s surtitles (side titles in this case?). Piaf and French cabaret music set the mood before the action begins but when the lighting switches from its blue infusion and the raunchy sexy score from Scottish hip hop artists Hector Bizerk fills the room, the mood takes a stark shift.
This portrayal of one woman’s life of instability and survival is played out over a series of tableaux or cabaret acts introduced by the scarlet coated and top hatted showman Zidler, complete with music hall alliteration, played with suitable brash loucheness by George Drennan. The style makes for a feeling of bittiness that is waiting to be pulled together. It feels in need of some editing as it is a little rambling at times and just too long, particularly when viewed from unforgiving bum numbing hard plastic seats! Yet it is filled with enough to visually and aurally fascinate. The older Jane (Pauline Knowles) looks at herself through the presence of her ever present younger self (Rachael Drazek) with each giving their own interpretation of Avril’s fierce, angular, staccato movements that recall her earlier spasms. Towards the end, Knowles dons an exquisite replica of Avril’s famous black and red dress, from costume designer Jessica Brettle, that Lautrec captured for posterity.
This French Anglophile dared to be different by refusing to join the chorus and dancing alone, showing a remote and dangerous self- possession that earned her the name La Mélinite, which means explosive. The piece ends with a moving and rather beautiful waltz performed by her young and older selves hinting at some welcome reconciliation. A positive message for all.
All performances include audio description, BSL and animated surtitles.
Tuesday 9 & Wednesday 10 June @ 7:30pm
£12/£10
Tour continues to :
Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy
Thursday 11 June @ 7.30pm
£10 (£8)
Bonar Hall, Dundee
Saturday 13 June @ 7.30pm
£14 (£12)