What an absolute delight to spend an hour with Christine Bovill and her new show, No Regrets.
It’s a wonderful tribute to her life long admiration of Edith Piaf’s work. It’s not just a song cycle but a sensitive and powerful story that relates her passion for the French chanson.
Bovill tells us that she first fell in love with Piaf when she was a young girl and Piaf entered her bloodstream. She even borrowed a box set of CDs from the local library, which she kept for four years. By now, she was hooked on the French language, studied French at the University of Dundee and spent an obligatory year in France as an English / French assistant before returning to complete her degree then teaching French and English in Glasgow.
Her story is both captivating and intriguing and, in many ways, reflects her own personal journey of exploration juxtaposed with Piaf.
Of course, the ‘little sparrow’ had a hard life surviving on the backstreets of the Pigalle, and Bovill is not shy in revealing the facts of Piaf’s many lovers and her obsession with the dark theme of death and eventually her addiction to morphine and untimely death.
Bovill is a consummate actress and storyteller with a voice that can send shivers down your spine. Her performance is radiant and powerful and embraces the character of Piaf without imitating her.
With classics such as the poignant "Hymn de l’amour" and the moving "Milord" ending of course with "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien", this is an evening to savour and is highly recommended.