Review by Èva Morin
50 min | Dramedy | PG
Written as a play by Jean Cocteau in 1930, La voix humaine tells the classic love story of a girl in love with an unattainable man. The one-act play was later transformed into an opera, with music composed by Francis Poulenc in 1959. For this year’s Fringe Festival, Toronto-based company Opera 5 put a modern spin on the one-character play by introducing modern elements to the production.
Opera 5’s General Director Rachel Krehm plays the tragic “Elle”, a lovesick woman desperately clinging to a telephone conversation with her former lover. Since the audience can only hear Krehm’s side of the conversation, they are left guessing what “Monsieur” is saying to make her so agitated and frantic.
While the lyrics are sung entirely in French, an English translation is displayed above the production. For those with poor eyesight however, be warned that the lyrics are incredibly pale and sometimes difficult to read. The singing is fast-paced throughout the production, and even as a francophone, I found myself reading the English translation because I would miss certain words due to mispronunciation. Lastly, the set features a screen that would sometimes display pictures of “Elle” and her former lover; further explaining lyrics and situations that did not really need explaining. The production could have done without this picture slideshow, as Krehm commands the stage on her own and fills the room with her undeniably beautiful voice.
La voix humaine is definitely not for everyone, but lovers of operatic music and one-woman plays will not be disappointed by Krehm’s enthralling performance.
La voix humaine plays at Venue 1 – Arts Court Theatre on Sunday June 23rd at 5:30pm; Monday June 24th at 8:00pm; Wednesday June 26th at 8:00pm; Friday June 28th at 5:00pm; and Saturday June 29th at 10:00pm. Tickets are $10.
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