“I found it very difficult”: Christian Begin had to roll up his sleeves

Christian Begin openly admits this. He was stunned by the negative reviews his solo show received last fall. “It was devastating. I found it terrible”, said the man who rolled up his sleeves and is very happy to return with an improvised show today. Interview with the 59-year-old artist who will return in a few days to the animation of the evening. A night of depression.

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This is your third time hosting A night of depression. Why are you coming back to do this event?

“Every time, it’s one of the most beautiful evenings of the year. It’s a unique and unusual show, with actors you won’t find anywhere else. There are about twenty guests. It goes from Ariane Moffatt to Luc De Larochellière, Laurence Jalbert and Catherine Éthier. This is one of the most impressive and diverse casts to be seen on stage in Montreal right now. […] It’s a liberating and feel-good show. The world goes out from there. They experience a full range of emotions. Plus, it’s for a good cause. All proceeds from the evening go to the Ronald-Dennis Foundation. So doing good and doing good to others is both.

What is this evening about?

“Sad songs and numbers all revolve around depression. But the accumulation of sad numbers makes it one of the funniest nights. We’re so secondary, it’s great. There’s something absolutely magical about this evening. […] We now have every reason to shout. Putting depression at the heart of the evening creates a kind of catharsis. We accept depression with a lot of scorn.

How is your solo show journey? 8 Deadly Sins?

“Things are going well today. But it’s a show that started off “tricky.” Critical reception last fall was very difficult for me. It required a lot of humility and hard work. After a very rough start, I found my show and I polished it. I fell in love with the show. […] I am happy because I really suffered. I wanted to quit. I don’t want to do it anymore. I had a love-hate relationship with my show. There, everything fell into place. The show works and people laugh. I think it’s a show that found an audience.”

Why was it so hard to get started?

“I don’t think I was ready. I didn’t run it enough. I come from a theater where you don’t do shows. We go back to the theater and a week later, this is the first. My first two solo shows, I never tried them. I went straight back to Montreal. But there , after a 25-year absence, I wasn’t prepared enough because of my age and the expectations surrounding this show. I didn’t care to give the public all the keys to understanding how second-rate I was.

What was your reaction to the negative reviews the day after the premiere?

“It was devastating. I found it very difficult. It was a terrible ego-wound. Because when you are alone on stage, you are solely responsible for what happens. It was the first time I had to face such unanimous harsh, confrontational and nasty criticism. I found it violent. There are some. It’s been really hard for me, but you have no choice. It’s a job, it’s a job. I cried all the tears in my body. But you roll up your sleeves, you work, you do your job.

What TV projects are you working on?

“I will soon finish shooting the new Isabelle Langlois series [Rumeurs, Mauvais karma], candidate. I have a good character, sort of The Big Lebowski, who is always angry, but also kind and very funny. It is a wonderful dramatic comedy about politics. I will also resume the shooting of the film There are masses of people And Curiosity is the beginning. […] My career cannot be generous to me right now. I am one of the privileged few in this industry.

• program A night of depression Monday will be held at the Théâtre St-Denis. theatrerestdenis.com. Christian Begin continues his One Man Show journey 8 Deadly Sins. For Dates: christianbegin.ca