It seems like yesterday, yet it has been well over 30 years since Leo Martin died. Kobe Van Herwegen, with a fascination for magic and the entertainment world, became absorbed in the lives of the iconic duo Gaston and Leo. They undoubtedly belong to the rich archive of stars from the entertainment world. Van Herwegen conjured a book out of his hat that provides an overview of the career of Gaston & Leo on and off stage. The book immediately formed the basis for the script he wrote. Opera and musical director Frank Van Laecke, with his years of experience, fine-tuned it. He also calls himself a child of the folk theater. This resulted in a bittersweet production full of nostalgia with two superb actors Warre Borgmans as Gaston Berghmans and Jurgen Delnaet as Leo Martin. The occasional orchestra is conducted by Thomas Vanhauwaert. With flair he guides the musicians and singers through a colorful medley of melodies and songs. Earworms from the variety repertoire of yesteryear. The whole thing runs on an explosive mix of colors and energies in close harmony and communal singing. Martin Michel provided the period-appropriate choreography. The six dancers and two gentlemen bring the vibe of yesteryear back to life. Nowadays everything is flashy, back then it was more measured, retro to the core. As time progresses, the dance acts get more swing.
As time goes by
Like in a film, the first meeting between the two men is shown. Leo Martin was a good clarinetist in a variety orchestra. He dreamed of having his own orchestra. One fine day he is given the baton as a gift. This is where Gaston Berghmans comes in. The orchestra travels the world. This is indicated briefly. After a few years of touring, the orchestra is dissolved. The picture 'costs and benefits' gets out of balance and the duo Gaston & Leo is born. They meet their respective wives. Gaston falls for Jenny, portrayed by Sandrine André and Leo sets his sights on Mariette played by Heidi De Grauwe. After a few performances, Gaston wants to do things bigger. He is the driving force. Martin doesn't have that boundary-pushing ambition, he holds back. At Gaston's insistence, they hire a manager, young René Vlaeyen, played by Gunther Levi. This doesn't leave them disappointed. They reached the top in an unprecedented way. Their manager manages to secure a contract with the BRT. They reach millions of viewers. He knows how to raise money to make a few feature films: Zware Jongens, De Paniekzaaiers, Gaston & Leo in Hongkong. Director Robbe De Hert makes an appearance. Another Antwerp icon like that.It swings out of the pan
There is chemistry between the two men. Making people laugh is their mission. Leo Martin is the generous passer. Gaston delivers the punch line. Crowd-pleasers for the BRT for a certain period. They performed their sketches in Antwerp dialect. At one point that was not done at the BRT. Everything had to be in standard Dutch. The entertainment director found their work outdated as well. That hit the duo hard. A blessing in disguise. Shortly after, the commercial station VTM started up and was more than happy to take them on with an exclusivity contract. The largest part of the stage is taken up by the orchestra. Regisseur Frank Van Laecke manages to fill the remaining sparse stage space in a sublime way. There is not a single dead moment. Scenes overlap. What is brought to the foreground takes priority, in the background there is further mime acting, silent play, or freezing in a tableau vivant. What Van Laecke does at one point with the beach chairs is another example of his visual power. Everything flows seamlessly into each other: acting, music, singing and dance.
The artistic life is a lion's den. In many bands, a split occurs due to differences of opinion or a big ego. This also happened with Gaston & Leo. While one is on vacation in the South, Gaston is the unpredictable star who performs on his own, surrounded by a few young artists. This goes down the wrong way with Leo Martin. A tremendous quarrel. After much persuasion from their manager, things are smoothed over and he is forgiven for the misstep.
Other actors/singers also get nice scenes. Musical artist Pieter Casteleyn wins over the audience with a funny song and gesticulations. A fantastic singer and true-blue showman. He then came up with the beautiful 'La Mer' by Charles Trenet.
No one is granted eternal life. Gaston gets colon cancer but recovers. Martin, on the other hand, a fervent smoker, gets lung cancer. He manages to hide this for a long time, but the cancer gets the better of him. First there is a hilarious sketch in a hospital bed of a doctor and patient. Shortly after, this becomes a touching, intimate scene: the deathbed of Leo Martin. A beautiful clarinet solo gives the scene extra depth. Playing contrasts makes a performance interesting. Spicy dialogues, dramatic scenes and conflict situations alongside the sparkling joie de vivre.
The performance ends with an iconic image, a sketch that is etched in the memory of young and old, that belongs to our cultural heritage. The entire cast received a minutes-long standing ovation as an expression of appreciation. Those who love nostalgia can visit Elckerlyc Antwerpen until Sunday, February 25, and on March 1, 2, and 3 in Capitole Gent