eBook - ePub
Piaf
About this book
From the streets of Paris to worldwide fame Edith Gassion (known to all as 'Piaf', the sparrow) continues to be remembered and revered for her exceptional voice and extraordinary, troubled life. In this new version of Piaf, Pam Gems has reworked her classic 1978 play, vividly capturing the glamour and squalor, the rise and fall of this complex, fragile and enigmatic performer.
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Yes, you can access Piaf by Pam Gems in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & British Drama. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Act One
SCENE 1
Bare stage. BRUNO, the Manager, in evening clothes, enters with a fifties floor microphone.
BRUNO: (Testing.) One, two, three... (To the audience.) Mes bien chères mesdames et chers messieurs...mesdames et messieurs... I give you...your own...beloved...Piaf !
Musical introduction of ‘La Vie en rose’. BRUNO glances off – and exits.
A pause. The intro again. On the fifth bar PIAF enters. She seems dazed, wanders vaguely then approaches and grasps the mike. Silence. She leans into the mike.
PIAF: Avec mes souvenirs,
J’ai allume le feu,
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs,
Je n’ai plus besoin d’eux...
She falters on the last line and stops, swaying over the microphone. BRUNO enters, tries to steer her offstage but PIAF will not let go of the mike. There is an undignified tussle as he tries to manhandle her off.
(Growls.) Get your fucking hands off me –
She goes for his face – he lifts her bodily and carries her off.
Straight into:
SCENE 2
Night. Outside the Gerny Club. The young PIAF enters, pulls off her beret and lays it on the ground. She clears her throat noisily and sings ‘Comme un moineau’. LOUIS LEPLÉE, the club owner, appears. A suave, well-built man in middle-age, elegant in expensive clothes and hat, with gloves and gold-topped cane, he makes to enter the club behind her, is arrested by her voice and leans on his cane to listen. At the end of a verse he claps. PIAF, startled, snatches up her beret and tries to dodge off but he grabs her with easy expertise.
PIAF: (Backing away with a placating gesture and a little smile.) Fuck off, don’t worry, I’m going...
LEPLÉE: It’s all right, kid – all right – it’s okay.
PIAF: (Warily.) Yeah? (As he peruses her thoughtfully.) What can I do for you? If I’d known you were coming I’d have shaved my legs.
LEPLÉE: Never mind the legs, where did you get that big voice?
PIAF: So they can hear me over the traffic! (She illustrates by singing from ‘Les Momes de la cloche’ very loud.)
LEPLÉE, delighted, laughs.
LEPLÉE: Bravo!
He waves a hand, indicates for her to join him in the Club. Awed, she precedes him inside...
SCENE 3
...and runs straight back onstage, bumping into her mate, TOINE, who enters separately, throws down her large clutch bag and sits heavily on the bed.
PIAF: Toine. You will never – ever – guess!
TOINE: Fuck off.
PIAF: (Hurt.) What for? (As TOINE takes off her shoes and massages her feet.)
TOINE: Fucking pimp. Three hours – three hours on my fucking feet – I said – the trade’s over there! That fat Hélène sits in the brasserie, why can’t I sit in the brasserie?
PIAF: Listen –
TOINE: Him with his bloody favourites. I said, I could dye my hair – be soignée if that’s what you want.
PIAF: What did he say?
TOINE: Hit me in the face.
PIAF: Oh well. Listen!
TOINE: (Tired.) What?
PIAF: No, listen... (TOINE groans.) Spooky Magda was right.
TOINE: Huh.
PIAF: You will marry a window cleaner and live in Nantes and I will go to Hollywood and be famous like...ah...mmm – (She can’t remember.)
TOINE: (Depressed.) Claudette Colbert.
PIAF: Yeah. I was singing outside the Gerny Club –
TOINE: ?
PIAF: And he stops and I’m singing Moineau and he listens!
TOINE: Give you anything?
PIAF: No, wait...he listens to the whole song –
TOINE: Who?
PIAF: The Monsieur.
TOINE: Monsieur?
PIAF: Leplée. Monsieur Leplée.
TOINE: Leplée?
PIAF: Yah.
TOINE: (Impressed.) Merde!
PIAF: And then –
TOINE: How much he give –
PIAF: (Shakes her head.) No. (TOINE reacts.) You will never guess. (Throws herself at TOINE in ecstasy.) He asks me inside!
TOINE: In? Where?
PIAF: Inside! The Club!
TOINE: The Gerny Club? (Disbelieving.)
PIAF: Toine you can’t believe it! Tablecloths...so white! Red silk lampshades, gold velvet chairs with tassels...sit down... sit down......anything I want to drink...wine, aperitif...
TOINE: I get it. Another fucking funny. (Scratching her crotch.) Can you see any crabs? So, what’s the deal?
PIAF grins, tantalising TOINE – twirls and then disgorges a large cheese from her pocket – TOINE eating automatically at once.
PIAF: He wants me –
I am invited –
To Sing.
Me.
In his Club.
TOINE: (Eating steadily.) She’s away.
PIAF: You want proof?
With some difficulty she removes a gateau under a glass bell from under her skirt.
TOINE: (Admiringly.) Hey!
PIAF: No he gave it to me......
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title page
- Copyright page
- Characters
- Cast
- Contents
- Act One
- Act Two