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Edith & Simone

by Ronny Verheyen
Musical Theatre Drama: 'Edith & Simone' by Ronny Verheyen
NOTE: this video is from a Belgian production;
dialogue spoken in Dutch, songs sung in French		  

Synopsis

Everybody knows the French singer Edith Piaf. Few people however, know that she had a half-sister who played an important part in her life. To simply tell Edith’s biography, no matter how dramatic her life was, would be a repetition of earlier plays and films about the life of Piaf. It becomes a different story when that life is seen through the eyes of Simone.

This musical is the story of Simone. What it means for her to live in the shadow of the icon that is Edith Piaf; how to endure her tempers, to depend on her, emotionally as well as financially. All this combined with the strong conviction that with just a little bit of luck it is Simone that could have been in Edith’s place. Where does she now draw the line between naked self-interest and all the sacrifices she has to make? Where does love end and hate start? Or, as in many relationships, has envy blinded reality?

The play starts as a life-telling story, which is close to “La Vie En Rose”, but gradually turns into a tense confrontation between two strong characters. This confrontation is built on facts which sometimes bring a surprising new understanding of Piaf’s history that we thought we all knew. But historical facts are only those events that can be connected to a fixed date or time. For the rest, all that happened in the past is an inextricable knot of causes and effects, a twilight zone that has been kept together by memory and interpretation. Such an interpretation is ‘Edith & Simone’.

‘Edith & Simone’ contains 18 songs, some made famous by Piaf and some contemporary French pieces, together with a number of mood-setting pieces of underscore in a similar vein. Band parts are available for a 3 piece orchestra consisting of: Piano, Bass and Accordion.

Characters

(5m, 6f, 1f-jnr)
  • Edith Piaf : mezzo soprano, playing the character from her mid-teens until her mid-forties
  • Simone Berteaut : mezzo soprano, two years younger than Edith. (If the actress playing Simone cannot sing, an alternative approach is provided).

There are many cameo speaking roles that can be doubled if required. The list below shows the minimum number of male and female actors required, together with their preferred age and physical characteristics of those actors. The character names in bold type have moderate to significant amounts of dialogue. Young Edith and Man 5 sing one song each. 

  • Man 1 (25-30, tall, thin) : Man in opening scene  / Waiter / Guest at Cabaret Gerny / Yves Montand / Reporter 1 / Passenger at Airport / Visitor at Coney Island / Theo Sarapo
  • Man 2: (25-30, short or small) : Petit Louis / Newspaper Boy / Paul Meurisse / Man at Mobilisation / Man at Liberation / Reporter 2 / Passenger at Airport / Visitor at Coney Island / Charles Aznavour
  • Man 3: (40-45, corpulent, stout build) : Man in opening scene / Louis Leplée / Presenter at ABC, Concert Pacra & Moulin Rouge / Man at Mobilisation / Man at Liberation / Lou Barrier / Passenger at Airport / Visitor at Coney Island / Doctor 3
  • Man 4: (30-35, athletic build) : Man in opening scene / Georges Le Spahi / Man at Mobilisation / Man at Liberation / Marcel Cerdan / Visitor at Coney Island / Doctor 1
  • Man 5: (35-40, well built, able to sing) : Papa Louis / Edith’s ‘Client’ / Guest at Cabaret Gerny / Raymond Asso / Man at Mobilisation / Man at Liberation / Passenger at Airport / Clown at Coney Island / Stage Manager / Doctor 2

  • Girl: (8-10, thin build) : Young Edith / Girl at Mobilisation / Girl at Liberation / Passenger at Airport / Visitor at Coney Island
  • Woman 1: (25-35) : Nurse - Yvonne Chevalier / Newspaper Girl / Woman at Mobilisation / Woman at Liberation / Passenger at Airport / Visitor at Coney Island / Call-Girl
  • Woman 2: (25-35) : Woman in opening scene / Guest at Cabaret Gerny / Newspaper Girl / Woman at Mobilisation / Andrée Bigeard / Woman at Liberation / Passenger at Airport / Visitor at Coney Island / Call-Girl / Nurse 1
  • Woman 3: (25-35, able to play the piano) : Woman in opening scene / Guest at Cabaret Gerny / Woman at Mobilisation / Woman at Liberation / Passenger at Airport / Visitor at Coney Island / Marguerite Monnot / Nurse 2
  • Woman 4: (25-35) : Woman in opening scene / Guest at Cabaret Gerny / Woman at Mobilisation / Woman at Liberation / Passenger at Airport / Visitor at Coney Island / Call-girl / Nurse 3

Songs

  1) Padam (Part)
 Instrumental
  2) C'est L'Amour Edith
  3) Les Mômes De La Cloche  Young Edith, then Edith
  4) Mon Légionnaire Simone (Optional)
  5) Mon Apéro Edith
  6) L'Accordéoniste Edith
  7) Boulevard De La Crime Instrumental Underscore
  8) Padam Edith (and Simone)
  9) Le Fanion De La Légion Edith
10) Romantic Piano Tune Instrumental Underscore
11) Sous Le Ciel De Paris Edith
12) Bal Dans Ma Rue Edith
13) La Gualante De Pauvre Jean Instrumental Underscore
14) Mon Dieu Edith
~~ Interval ~~  
15) Hymne À L'Amour Edith
16) Bravo Pour Le Clown The Clown and Ensemble
17) La Vie En Rose Edith
18) Parlez Moi D’Amour Edith
19) In The Mood Instrumental Underscore (by Woman 3)
20) La Foule Edith
21) Milord Edith
22) Les Blouses Blanches Instrumental Underscore
23) C'est L'Amour Edith
24) Non, Rien De Rien Edith

Information for Production Administrators

Here's a list of all the supporting material available and some other information you might need. Pricing for the production materials is supplied automatically with a Perusal Set. Royalty pricing can only be provided as a formal quotation.
Available now (see below) ...
 
Preview Script/Libretto
You can download straightaway a shortened copy of the script/libretto to read and get a relatively good picture of whether you would like to proceed to the next step. The Preview E-Script is made available to you as a pdf file sized for A4 paper and contains just over half of the script/libretto. 
Perusal Set
These are available for customers in European Union countries only to borrow free of charge (but you have to pay the postage to return the set to us). The set contains ...
 
  • Printed Libretto
  • Printed Piano/Vocal Score
  • Cast Recording CD (Dialogue in Dutch, Sung in French)
Available after Perusal ...
 
Libretti/Vocal Scores

Available to purchase in this form ...

  • Rehearsal Master Set on a Data CD (Cast). This contains the script and piano vocal score for your cast and crew provided as A4 pdf files. No problem about possible loss of deposit on sets of rented books, as they are yours to print out and mark up as required. The price includes a multiple copying licence allowing you to copy the Data CD itself (enabling you to give or sell copies to your cast for them to make up their own rehearsal books) or to make multiple prints of the pdf's on the Data CD for your production company to organise and provide to your cast or crew.

To order this, create an account with us, then go to the 'Order Rehearsal Material' page

Please note that we do not sell printed copies of libretti, nor do we hire sets of printed rehearsal libretti or scores.
Available after Rights Obtained ...
 
Backing Tracks
n/a
Orchestrations
These are available for a 3 piece orchestra as below, for hire to production companies only, who hold a valid, unexpired, licence to perform.
 
  • MD / Keyboard 1
  • Bass
  • Accordian
  
Royalty Type
Royalties for this title are 'variable fee, post paid', and will be calculated on a percentage of your box office income once your production has finished. See our pricing policy for details. We work on a quotation system for royalties, based on information you supply to us. Complete a printed application form or create account with us, and use the online version.
Video Licence
We have secured the rights to video productions of this title from the Author, and we manage them on his behalf. Once a 'Licence To Perform' has been granted, and then on payment of a fee, we will be able to issue a 'Licence To Record'. There are some strings attached to this, but these are far outweighed by the benefits.
 
  • Record one or more live performances and mix down to a single video
  • Give or sell copies to your cast and crew
  • Sell copies to your audiences (take advance bookings on the night)

Order your free preview script or perusal material now ...
  • Perusal Set
    £0.00 Perusal Set
    PLEASE NOTE : We operate a FREE Perusal Service, but our Perusal Sets are ONLY available to customers who are representatives of a production company, school, church, or amateur group. If you qualify, the set will be...
  • Royalty Quotation Form (FL)
    Royalty Quotation Form (FL)
    The rights to perform and record for all the titles in our catalogue are managed by Stagescripts Ltd. You should not assume that a licence to perform will always be granted. Please request a quotation at the earliest...