Claudine Nightingale reviews the retelling of Édith Piaf’s dramatic life, the latest production from the Watermill Theatre in Newbury
The play, written by Pam Gems and directed by Kim Sykes, tells the story of the famous French chanteuse Édith Piaf – a turbulent life story of a vivacious character. As one might expect, the play is heavily laced with music and songs throughout; and therefore makes it the perfect play to stage at the Watermill – a small but mighty theatre, well-known for its pioneering actor-musician-led productions. The script is strong and warrants a revival; it offers many humorous and tender moments throughout and is a well-paced journey through her adult life – sometimes a challenge for biographical dramas.
Undoubtedly the star of this show is Audrey Brisson, who gives an astounding performance in the title role. Previously an Olivier Best Actress nominee for her lead role in Amelie the Musical, Brisson offers a commanding portrayal of a woman who approached life with huge energy and emotion. Her voice is full and powerful, and bears a striking resemblance to Piaf’s. More importantly, though, she performs each song with such narrative power through her gestures and facial expression, that it doesn’t matter if your language skills are a little lacking (all songs are performed in their original French). He prowess was no better demonstrated, for me, than during the song ‘Mon Dieu’, where she sings seamlessly, wearing a white silk slip, while conducting a love scene, half of which is on top of an upright piano. If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is.
Talking of love scenes, it’s worth noting that the production contains mature content, including strong language and scenes of a sexual nature throughout, as well as drink and drug abuse, so I would certainly endorse their age guidance of 14+. However, the production offers lots of inspiration for older students.
While the protagonist is clearly a lead role, she is supported by a truly ensemble cast, each of whom play multiple roles and multiple instruments. The ensemble performance shines particularly brightly in the montage scene where Piaf grows in fame and earns enough to buy beautiful clothes, jewellery etc. As she moves, singing, around the stage, each of the cast, playing instruments, offer up accessories to take her on her journey to her first taste of success.
Performances from the ensemble cast are strong throughout, but of particular note is Signe Larsson’s Marlene Dietrich, who shows off her low sultry tones singing ‘La Vie en Rose’ in a duet with Brisson’s Piaf, and Hazel Monaghan, who plays Piaf’s agent Louis, and whose presence on stage brings a welcome spritz of energy in moments of increasing poignancy.
The set design (from studio Gold Teeth) is simple but complements the play well. A street wall dominates the back of the stage, intended to represent her humble origins on the streets of Paris. It is a little neat for my liking but the starry lights hidden within the wall that light up on occasion are particularly effective. The vintage wall lights on the side of the set also play a small but effective role in portraying the atmosphere of a French café in the earlier scenes.
Effective lighting design (Prema Mehta) partners well with instrumental markers for scene changes, and the instruments are used well to enhance certain scenes (for example discordant clarinets indicating the increasingly frequent visits from the ambulance, and vigorous use of the bass drum in Marcel Cerdan’s (Djavan van de Fliert) boxing scene.
An undoubted hit, this production showcases outstanding talent in Brisson and her supporting ensemble cast, and tells the story of one of the most powerful, vivacious and passionate performers of the twentieth century.
Piaf is showing at the Watermill Theatre until 17 May 2025.
watermill.org.uk