PIAF by Pam Gems.

Édith Piaf’s life was full of tragedy and trauma. Her Mother had been a café singer and abandoned her at birth, her grandmother bought her up but it is reported that she had been running a brothel too. It is quite likely that Piaf witnessed sights that no child should ever see while growing up.

Piaf began her singing career in the streets of Paris. Earning a pittance and barely getting by. In 1935 her life took on another direction when she was discovered by Louis Leplée (Sam Pay) who saw the potential that she possessed and could deliver to audiences, which she certainly did over the years.

Audrey Brisson takes the role of the flawed and determined French singing legend Édith Piaf. From her statue to the incredible voice the likeness to Piaf is uncanny and incredibly moving to watch.

The entire cast of ten are outstanding musicians along with performing several ensemble roles each throughout the production with precision and unfaltering performances. The only person to remain the same character throughout is Brisson.

One particular stand-out performance was the trombone solo which represented the sound of the plane crashing, killing the boxer Marcel Cerdan (Djavan Van De Fliert) who Piaf was famously having an affair with. The trauma caused by his untimely death had a deep impact on Piaf.

Director Kimberly Sykes captures the tragedy of Piaf’s life and the Incredible performances that she would deliver. For a smaller stage, a cast of ten sounds like the stage would be overcrowded. However, with each one a musician the sides of the stage doubled as the orchestra section and it never appeared overcrowded. An outstanding production achievement reflecting the life of the legendary singer, a fitting tribute to everything Piaf achieved.

Whether you liked Piaf or not I would highly recommend catching the captivating production currently performing at The Watermill Theatre, the struggles the singer faced leave a lot to admire about her as she rose to fame and left her mark on the singing world with an incredible and unique voice.