Judy in person, Brighton Fringe Festival, New Steine Hotel, 2013
"Well constructed and heartfelt portrayal" by David Rumelle on 11/05/13 www.remotegoat.co.uk
-I would urge anyone attending Gregoire Aubert's moving performance as Judy Garland not to expect a Jim Bailey life-like/look-alike /sound-alike-carbon copy! But one does come away with a feeling of having explored this great icon in depth, understood the true story of her appalling treatment by the Hollywood system and ultimately her return as one as the last true stars. And this show works on a far higher level- one overlooks the physical/facial and vocal differences between the actor and the original and accepts an amalgam of the two-telling a fascinating story.
This time round the show is being performed in a basement function room in a small hotel-but it could easily be in any moderately sized theater or studio space. A power point presentation on the back wall-can be distracting at times and could be used sparingly-but it does keep us on track with Judy's timeline. Aubert knows his subject well-and has obviously studied Garland's movement, expression ,gestures and above all-hands !He is so focused and so " in character" that it doesn't take long for him to weave theatrical magic on us all-his hair- style, profile and delivery almost dream-like in quality.(just look at those repeats on Sky arts to see the un-canny re-creation)The first act is undoubtedly a cry from the heart of the great performer having to cope with being "abused" by Hollywood, filming with constant Migraine's and a strong theme of the show is the one of drug abuse , addiction and the dangers of medication- still poignantly relevant today. Aubert's portrayal in these sections of Judy's courage and fortitude is particularly moving. All this is cleverly punctuated by Garland songs sung over the original-a touch that again works on two levels - emphasising Aubert's acute study of Garland's gestures and stage presence, without being distracted by vocal impersonation. By contrast-the second act(complete with a change of hair style and outfit) explores Garland's realisation as a stage performer at heart and the passion of Judy's songs shines through ,making one realise that the star only found her true self later on in life. By the end of the show-Aubert's spell has worked and we are left with a bittersweet feeling as if one has witnessed a piece of history. Maybe a few shorter sections of musical numbers throughout, more narrative in the second half and ending on a number would complete the picture and round off the evening for us -but these are small points in an otherwise well constructed and heartfelt portrayal.
I would very much like to see this show in a larger venue in the near future and will certainly be returning to see it again before the end of its run on 2nd June.
Blimey this was impressive....Written by tastdogs 15th May 2013
www.lovefringe.com
Reset the dial: Call me naive but despite a Kemptown location & a 1 person show from someone called Gregoire I hadn't clocked that Judy would be a man. The show itself was utterly convincing & I am not surprising that it won awards last year, mixing song & the dialogue of an insecure hero Loved it. Go see.
Judy in Person facebook page, comment 18th May 2013
The worst show I've ever seen. So bad it's worth going to see!
Judy in Person at the New Steine Hotel, Brighton Fringe by Scott Free on May 22nd, 2013
www.thepinksinatrashow.biz
Like Proust's madeleine retrouvee, after three years performing the Pink Sinatra at the Brighton fringe on stage at the New Steine Hotel, how delightful to return, this time in the audience to see Gregoire Aubert perform his wonderful show Judy in Person. After his original piece of fringe theatre last year, The Making of a Woman, he’s done it again! Judy in Person is a marvellous and authentic piece of intimate and moving theatre. Though billed as cabaret, it is in fact a well constructed play in which Greg as Judy acts out our heroine’s life story.
Many in the audience in the packed house at the New Steine will have certainly not been born when that particular star was born. The tumultuous tale is recounted with passion and pathos. All the hit songs are there from A Star is Born to, of course, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Greg performs these in a unique way. I won’t spoil the surprise, but rest assured you are in for a treat. His characterisation of Judy is authentically played and emotionally raw. And the dancing a knockout! Like last year’s Making of a Woman, the production values are more Oxfam than X-factor and I’d say all the better for that. This is the soul of fringe, giving us a fresh uncluttered performance. And if the production values are minimal, they force an imaginative approach. We are treated to some interesting theatrical touches, like the footlights in the second act and the well utilised projections onto an on-stage screen. This Judy in Person doesn’t focus on the glitz but on the emotional journey of the character. Greg as Judy carries us along with the intensity of his acting performance. And a riveting two hours it is.
Judy in Person is fringe magic, beautifully conceived and performed by Gregoire Aubert with truth and charisma. It makes for an involving and moving two hours of theatre for the lucky audiences. Brighton Fringe has a lot to offer. For theatre lovers and Judy afficionados, Judy in Person is the one to catch.
Judy In Person, New Steine Hotel, Brighton, 28th May 2013By Susi Doherty in Fringe reviews www.theargus.co.uk
What to expect from Judy In Person, a Fringe show playing out at Kemp Town’s New Steine Hotel? Will it be a magical insight into Judy’s mind and life, a historical presentation or maybe drag?
Classed as cabaret in the programme, it is actually raw, uncluttered theatre. This is quickly apparent as Grégoire Aubert, the show’s star and creator, immerses himself in the icon, playing out her sometimes tragic life story with real humour and feeling. The performance’s intimate space in the cellar feels rather like voyeuristically peering into someone’s front room and at times it is difficult to know whether to laugh or cry.
Judy In Person is an allegorical piece of performance art that aims to illuminate Judy’s personality. Grégoire takes on Judy’s persona and presents a whistlestop tour of her life in words and song – of which there is a delicious choice, from the lesser known to the classic Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
He lays his heart bare in what must be an exhausting set but in a way which really carries you with him. This passion makes for joyous theatre and compounds the sense of a connection between Grégoire and Judy – a happy countenance and quick wit belying despair and tragedy.
This is a real gem – go with an open mind and enjoy the ride.
-I would urge anyone attending Gregoire Aubert's moving performance as Judy Garland not to expect a Jim Bailey life-like/look-alike /sound-alike-carbon copy! But one does come away with a feeling of having explored this great icon in depth, understood the true story of her appalling treatment by the Hollywood system and ultimately her return as one as the last true stars. And this show works on a far higher level- one overlooks the physical/facial and vocal differences between the actor and the original and accepts an amalgam of the two-telling a fascinating story.
This time round the show is being performed in a basement function room in a small hotel-but it could easily be in any moderately sized theater or studio space. A power point presentation on the back wall-can be distracting at times and could be used sparingly-but it does keep us on track with Judy's timeline. Aubert knows his subject well-and has obviously studied Garland's movement, expression ,gestures and above all-hands !He is so focused and so " in character" that it doesn't take long for him to weave theatrical magic on us all-his hair- style, profile and delivery almost dream-like in quality.(just look at those repeats on Sky arts to see the un-canny re-creation)The first act is undoubtedly a cry from the heart of the great performer having to cope with being "abused" by Hollywood, filming with constant Migraine's and a strong theme of the show is the one of drug abuse , addiction and the dangers of medication- still poignantly relevant today. Aubert's portrayal in these sections of Judy's courage and fortitude is particularly moving. All this is cleverly punctuated by Garland songs sung over the original-a touch that again works on two levels - emphasising Aubert's acute study of Garland's gestures and stage presence, without being distracted by vocal impersonation. By contrast-the second act(complete with a change of hair style and outfit) explores Garland's realisation as a stage performer at heart and the passion of Judy's songs shines through ,making one realise that the star only found her true self later on in life. By the end of the show-Aubert's spell has worked and we are left with a bittersweet feeling as if one has witnessed a piece of history. Maybe a few shorter sections of musical numbers throughout, more narrative in the second half and ending on a number would complete the picture and round off the evening for us -but these are small points in an otherwise well constructed and heartfelt portrayal.
I would very much like to see this show in a larger venue in the near future and will certainly be returning to see it again before the end of its run on 2nd June.
Blimey this was impressive....Written by tastdogs 15th May 2013
www.lovefringe.com
Reset the dial: Call me naive but despite a Kemptown location & a 1 person show from someone called Gregoire I hadn't clocked that Judy would be a man. The show itself was utterly convincing & I am not surprising that it won awards last year, mixing song & the dialogue of an insecure hero Loved it. Go see.
Judy in Person facebook page, comment 18th May 2013
The worst show I've ever seen. So bad it's worth going to see!
Judy in Person at the New Steine Hotel, Brighton Fringe by Scott Free on May 22nd, 2013
www.thepinksinatrashow.biz
Like Proust's madeleine retrouvee, after three years performing the Pink Sinatra at the Brighton fringe on stage at the New Steine Hotel, how delightful to return, this time in the audience to see Gregoire Aubert perform his wonderful show Judy in Person. After his original piece of fringe theatre last year, The Making of a Woman, he’s done it again! Judy in Person is a marvellous and authentic piece of intimate and moving theatre. Though billed as cabaret, it is in fact a well constructed play in which Greg as Judy acts out our heroine’s life story.
Many in the audience in the packed house at the New Steine will have certainly not been born when that particular star was born. The tumultuous tale is recounted with passion and pathos. All the hit songs are there from A Star is Born to, of course, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Greg performs these in a unique way. I won’t spoil the surprise, but rest assured you are in for a treat. His characterisation of Judy is authentically played and emotionally raw. And the dancing a knockout! Like last year’s Making of a Woman, the production values are more Oxfam than X-factor and I’d say all the better for that. This is the soul of fringe, giving us a fresh uncluttered performance. And if the production values are minimal, they force an imaginative approach. We are treated to some interesting theatrical touches, like the footlights in the second act and the well utilised projections onto an on-stage screen. This Judy in Person doesn’t focus on the glitz but on the emotional journey of the character. Greg as Judy carries us along with the intensity of his acting performance. And a riveting two hours it is.
Judy in Person is fringe magic, beautifully conceived and performed by Gregoire Aubert with truth and charisma. It makes for an involving and moving two hours of theatre for the lucky audiences. Brighton Fringe has a lot to offer. For theatre lovers and Judy afficionados, Judy in Person is the one to catch.
Judy In Person, New Steine Hotel, Brighton, 28th May 2013By Susi Doherty in Fringe reviews www.theargus.co.uk
What to expect from Judy In Person, a Fringe show playing out at Kemp Town’s New Steine Hotel? Will it be a magical insight into Judy’s mind and life, a historical presentation or maybe drag?
Classed as cabaret in the programme, it is actually raw, uncluttered theatre. This is quickly apparent as Grégoire Aubert, the show’s star and creator, immerses himself in the icon, playing out her sometimes tragic life story with real humour and feeling. The performance’s intimate space in the cellar feels rather like voyeuristically peering into someone’s front room and at times it is difficult to know whether to laugh or cry.
Judy In Person is an allegorical piece of performance art that aims to illuminate Judy’s personality. Grégoire takes on Judy’s persona and presents a whistlestop tour of her life in words and song – of which there is a delicious choice, from the lesser known to the classic Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
He lays his heart bare in what must be an exhausting set but in a way which really carries you with him. This passion makes for joyous theatre and compounds the sense of a connection between Grégoire and Judy – a happy countenance and quick wit belying despair and tragedy.
This is a real gem – go with an open mind and enjoy the ride.
The MAking of A Woman, Brighton Fringe, IAMBIC ARTS THEATRE, 2012
The Making of a Woman (Iambic Arts Theatre, Brighton) By Scott Free • 14 May 2012 •
The Making of a Woman epitomises why fringe matters. Why? Because this simple production is a surprisingly well told and personal story which holds its audience spell-bound from the moment the overture, played by Maria Dunn on the night I went, begins. Leave your pre-conceptions outside in the alley as, pushing through the heavy wardrobe doors, our hero / heroine appears singing In My Own Little Corner. Is this a man in a woman’s world or a man with the essence of a fantasy woman?
Through 22, perfectly pitched, Rogers and Hammerstein songs, creator / performer Gregoire Aubert transfixes and enchants us into his world-within-a-wardrobe. Having the musical focus on just one lyricist / composer partnership works on two levels, firstly, the clear focus on the material leads to the re-interpretation of these songs outside of their original musical context and era and, secondly, the performance works simply on the level of ‘sing-a-long’ with a subversive difference!
At this performance it is a comfortable mix of the two, with audience members singing along, clearly engrossed and moved at the same time. The central idea is of a boy realizing his emotions through these superb songs, all written for woman. Intriguingly though, Honey Bun was written for a woman in male ‘drag’, so Aubert could be said to be singing the role of a man, playing a woman, playing a man - a deliciously rare concept. It is a soul stripping tour de force, carrying the audience into both the character’s, then their own personal emotional space. Climbing (Every Mountain) to a fortissimo finale, The Making of a Woman sends us back out onto the rainy May streets of Brighton knowing that we, like the character, “Will Never Walk Alone”. This truly original and quirky theatre is a sensational UK acting debut from Frenchman Aubert, whose scorching singing re-defines these torch songs.
This is not the Really Useful Theatre Company at the Palladium nor, heaven forbid, Cowell on the TV. This is inventive theatre presented at its inception, with depth and reality by a talented performer. Don’t go to fringe shows expecting slick scene changes, expensive sets and two dimensional gloss; go for quality of (unknown) performers, striking pioneering thought and simple pared-back production values more in tune with Oxfam than X-factor. Aubert’s training at one of France’s premier drama conservatoires and years of experience as a vagabond performer / artist truly shines through in this absorbing piece of theatre. To call it ‘avant-garde’ would itself be passé, The Making of a Woman is fringe theatre at its innovative best.
The Making of a Woman epitomises why fringe matters. Why? Because this simple production is a surprisingly well told and personal story which holds its audience spell-bound from the moment the overture, played by Maria Dunn on the night I went, begins. Leave your pre-conceptions outside in the alley as, pushing through the heavy wardrobe doors, our hero / heroine appears singing In My Own Little Corner. Is this a man in a woman’s world or a man with the essence of a fantasy woman?
Through 22, perfectly pitched, Rogers and Hammerstein songs, creator / performer Gregoire Aubert transfixes and enchants us into his world-within-a-wardrobe. Having the musical focus on just one lyricist / composer partnership works on two levels, firstly, the clear focus on the material leads to the re-interpretation of these songs outside of their original musical context and era and, secondly, the performance works simply on the level of ‘sing-a-long’ with a subversive difference!
At this performance it is a comfortable mix of the two, with audience members singing along, clearly engrossed and moved at the same time. The central idea is of a boy realizing his emotions through these superb songs, all written for woman. Intriguingly though, Honey Bun was written for a woman in male ‘drag’, so Aubert could be said to be singing the role of a man, playing a woman, playing a man - a deliciously rare concept. It is a soul stripping tour de force, carrying the audience into both the character’s, then their own personal emotional space. Climbing (Every Mountain) to a fortissimo finale, The Making of a Woman sends us back out onto the rainy May streets of Brighton knowing that we, like the character, “Will Never Walk Alone”. This truly original and quirky theatre is a sensational UK acting debut from Frenchman Aubert, whose scorching singing re-defines these torch songs.
This is not the Really Useful Theatre Company at the Palladium nor, heaven forbid, Cowell on the TV. This is inventive theatre presented at its inception, with depth and reality by a talented performer. Don’t go to fringe shows expecting slick scene changes, expensive sets and two dimensional gloss; go for quality of (unknown) performers, striking pioneering thought and simple pared-back production values more in tune with Oxfam than X-factor. Aubert’s training at one of France’s premier drama conservatoires and years of experience as a vagabond performer / artist truly shines through in this absorbing piece of theatre. To call it ‘avant-garde’ would itself be passé, The Making of a Woman is fringe theatre at its innovative best.