Piaf at the Charing Cross Theatre ★★★★

Cameron Leigh as Piaf ©Gabriel Szalontai 

This year marks the century of the iconic French chanteuse Edith Piaf. To celebrate, Charing Cross theatre unleashes Pam Gem's play, Piaf, directed by Jari Laakso, which was first staged in 1978. The play is quite an eye opener. It pulls away the glamour of Piaf's singing career for the part of Piaf’s life that we are not so familiar with.

As much as she was the Carnegie Hall super star, the play describes Piaf's earlier poverty-stricken life, as potty-mouthed Édith Giovanna Gassion, brought up by prostitutes, and addicted to alcohol and drugs. 

Piaf (Leigh) with husband, Marcel (Zac Hamilton) ©Gabriel Szalontai 

The script is clear-cut. The scenes move from episode to episode of her traumatic life. They are neatly interlinked with her record-breaking songs including Padam, Padam and La Vie en Rose. It’s what keep the play musically alive alongside Cameron Leigh’s perfect performance of the international cabaret star.

The talented performer-musicians are also strong forces on stage, playing several roles in Piaf’s tragic journey. Stephanie Prior is impressive as Marlene Dietrich as well as Piaf's nurse. Samatha Spurgin is brilliant as Piaf's old time friend from the brothel, Toine. 

Leigh with Brian Gilligan, Mal Hall, Zac Hamilton, Philip Murray Warson and Kit Smith ©Gabriel Szalontai 

Brian Gilligan, Mal Hall, Zac Hamilton, Philip Murray Warson and Kit Smith add dashes of humour and electricity to the production, performing a variety of male roles that ruled Piaf's life including German soldiers in WWII, doctors, Louis Leplée (the club owner who discovered Piaf), Theo (her last husband) and police detectives who suspected her of murder. 


Leigh is the tour de force of the show. She nails the title role vocally, characteristically and physically. If you ever wanted to know what Piaf was like in real life, Leigh is your best bet. She can re-enact her every emotion effortless. Seeing her perform Non, je ne regrette rien is a gut-wrenching experience. Many members of the audience had tears in their eyes. However, one wonders if she really was as coarse as Gem depicts her - with an East London cockney accent but, just, the French version.

Scenes where Piaf discovers her husband, Marcel Cerdan had died in a plane crash or suffers from a car crash in 1951, with broken arm and ribs, are convincingly performed by Leigh. The audience pity Piaf's hard life.

If you’re a fan of Piaf, get a ticket now. Cameron Leigh's performance is simply mind-blowing.

Piaf (Leigh) with Toine (Samantha Spurgin)

Currently showing at the www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk until January 2nd. Click on the link to purchase tickets. 
Director: Jari Laakso; Musical Arrangement and Supervision: Isaac McCullough; Movement Director: Katya Bourvis; Designer: Philippa Batt; Lighting Designer: Chris Randall.
Piaf is produced by Gillian Tan, Blackwinged Creatives, Steven M. Levy and Sean Sweeney.
For more theatre reviews on Trend Fem, click here. 
Dress rehearsal of Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci at the Royal Opera House (Dec 2015)

Hapgood, Tom Stoppard, Hampstead Theatre (Dec 2015)

Henry V, The Royal Shakespeare Company, the Barbican (Nov 2015)

Harold Pinter's The Homecoming, Trafalgar Studio (November 2015)

Completely blown away by Cameron Leigh who sings the lead role of Edith #Piaf. @CharingCrossThr @PiafLondon pic.twitter.com/5qM6222jA8

— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) December 12, 2015

Charing Cross Theatre : Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado ★★★★

Arthur Sullivan and W. S. Gilbert’s operetta The Mikado, which was performed 672 times at the Savoy Theatre in 1885, is popularly known for its catchy songs, amusing Japanese costumes and cheeky libretto. Now, it’s being shown at the Charing Cross Theatre under the award-winning direction of Thom Southerland, which makes a mockery of British politicians and bashes celebrity culture including witty gags about TV programmes: Towie and Goggle Box, as well as pop-icon Russell Brand and, even, Kim Kardashian.

Set in a Japanese fan manufacturer, the opera tells the story of Nanki-Poo (Matthew Crowe), the son of the Mikado who disguises himself as a second trombone to run away from his engagement to Katisha (Rebecca Caine), an older woman of his father’s court. He falls in love with Yum-Yum (Leigh Coggins) who shares mutual feelings but is told by Pooh-Bah (Steve Watts) that she is marrying Lord High Executioner, Ko-Ko (Hugh Osbourne). Due to the sudden news Nanki-Poo considers taking his life but Ko-Ko convinces him to stay alive for a month to avoid his own execution, as decreed by the Mikado, and have Nanki-poo executed in his place in exchange for Yum-Yum as his wife.  Yet as comic operas go, no one is executed, Nanki-Poo wins his Yum-Yum and the opera concludes with a grand assemble song with Japanese fans and umbrellas spinning in the air. 

Just below the stage, two grand pianos are buoyantly played by musical director Dean Austin and associate musical director Noam Galperin. They add blushes of enthusiasm and fire to Sullivan’s charming and snappy score. Southerland’s production also showcases cute dance routines like tap and circle dancing, which are lightly sprinkled in with mischievous smiles and eye-boggling jazz hands.

The loud diva voice of Katisha, sung by the distinguished theatre and opera soprano Rebecca Caine, is one to envy. Although playing a bit of the witch-esque baddie, dressed like a violet feathered Morticia Addams, she spreads sorrow on the stage through her operatic prowess with her song "Alone, and yet alive.” Coggings sings as the little, sweet and dewy-eyed Yum-Yum and it’s surprising to hear the highest and most heavenly notes come out of her small body. 

Crowe as Nanki-Poo is a pleasure to watch on stage with his own version of "A Wand'ring Minstrel I” as he walks gleefully on top of a stool. Although wobbly at holding high range notes he acts as the ideal strapping traveller and lover boy.  Osborne as Ko-Ko donnes the most interesting carpet waistcoats and injects silly sarcasm and true Gilbert & Sullivan humour to the show with Chapham as the cheeky and larking noble lord, Pish-tush and the snotty Pooh-Bah with a zillion superior roles acted by Watts. Yet Watts also suffers with a few notes sounding off; but this is to no disadvantage as his characterisation was on par particularly with the befuddling look he gives to the butterly 'Three Little Maids' (Sophie Rohan, Cassandra Mccowan and Coggins) as they shuffle and shake their butts and breasts at him - fully clothed! And baritone singer Mark Heenehan, who cut it as the commanding Juan Perón in last year’s Evita tour, played as good a regimental Mikado as he merrily sang "Mi-ya Sa-ma” despite his gold studded medallions and bossy demeanor.

I can confidently say that once you’ve settled into your seat, you’ll soon forget about your life worries with Southerland’s production of The Mikado: a wonderfully upbeat and jubilant show.

Currently showing until the 3rd of January 2015. Click here to purchase tickets. 

Photos courtesy of Kevin Wilson PR

This #themikado is lots of laughs with jokes out of Russell Brand & Towie. Jazz hands, brilliant tunes, decoration & more @CharingCrossThr
— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) December 2, 2014