The soulful songs and spellbinding life story of French singer Edith Piaf will be recreated at St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth this month.
Edith rose from poverty to stardom in the clubs and music halls of Paris in the 1930s and 40s.
Her passionate renditions of songs about loss and love, along with insights into the singer’s tumultuous personal life, will be recalled by Norfolk-based Dreamcast Productions.
Norfolk born Julie Hewitt, who conceived and wrote the script, portrays Edith onstage, accompanied by David Rees, who has been playing leading roles across the region for many years, giving his panache to the classic songs of Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand and Charles Trenet.
She said: “Creating this show has been a labour of love. I first discovered Edith as a teenager and her magical voice never left me. The more I found out about her the more amazing she became.
“Edith experienced so much in her short life, and endures because people relate to the mixture of heartbreak and hope she sings about.”
Julie will sing classics such as Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, La Vie en Rose, Mon Dieu, Hymn to Love, Milord and She in a combination of French and English
The show features narration, projection and film delving into Edith’s life story.
Edith, allegedly named after Norfolk’s famous wartime nurse Edith Cavell and known as the Little Sparrow because of her diminutive size. was abandoned at birth by her café singer mother, raised in a brothel by her granny, travelled with circus acrobat father and sang on the streets of Paris before being discovered by a cabaret club owner in 1935.
Her tragic life also saw her toddler child die aged two from meningitis, and her boxer boyfriend killed in a plane crash on his way to meet her. She died aged 47 in 1963 reportedly from liver cancer.
Thousands line the streets of Paris for her funeral.
Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth Sunday February 25, 2.30pm. Tickets £7 (£10 with an after-show cream tea) from the box office or 01493 331484 or www.stgeorgestheatre.com
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