Portraits in Song

Edith Piaf & Bertolt Brecht

• Performed by: Elizabeth Mansfield – Accompanied by: Stephen Rose
• Devised by: Elizabeth Mansfield – In Collaboration with: Steve Trafford
• Original musical direction & arrangements by: Russell Churney
• New arrangements by: Stephen Rose
• Designed by: Richard Aylwin
• Lighting design by: Nao Nagai

La Vie En Rose & Mac The Knife

Je Ne Regrette Rien & Surabaya Johnny

Elizabeth Mansfield's gripping portraits of Edith Piaf and Bertolt Brecht bring each vividly to life in a full, dramatic evening, interwoven with their unforgettable songs.

About as far apart as you can get, Piaf and Brecht, two great figures of European chanson and ballad, connect by contrast. Piaf engages the heart; Brecht engages the mind. Yet his songs, like Piaf's, are full of fantastic theatricality and drama and, through the single voice of the performer, two powerfully different world views emerge.

The songs are sung in English, many in new translations by award winning writer Steve Trafford.

Originally produced in association with Theatre by the Lake.

A CD of this show is available.