Andrew Farr inhabits the body and souk of iconic French chanteuse Edith Piaf. Plain and simple. From the moment he edged his way slowly up the scaffolding steps on the windswept open air stage at the Warren near Brighton pier, he WAS Edith. His slight stoop, his tousled wig , his arthritic hand gestures and that memorable voice are all there from the word go.
Andrew presents us with a truncated version of his full-length show and this is a tighter, funnier and faster paced performance, necessarily with fewer songs but with choices that all make a real impact.
We get La Vie En Rose as an opener to what is an entertaining chat from his armchair and from the microphone and Andrew stays fully in character even when he and we are battling the wind and rain.
Its a perfectly pitched trip through Piaf’s life – the sorrows , of which there were many, and the fleeting joys like the final two loves of her life. As she tells us “ I was no stranger to sin; I was barely a stranger to anyone “
Mon Dieu, L’Accordioniste, Mon Manège a Moi and of course the glorious No Regrets are all rendered with power, pathos, clarity and deep emotion. It’s an outstanding performance from a hugely talented man.
Piaf liked to showcase new male singing talent and here Andrew follows her pattern by introducing a set from Brighton photographer and chorus member Nick Ford, who has a deliciously surprising falsetto voice that soars up the notes in Heathcliff and settles comfortably in songs from Little Mermaid and Dreamgirls. His duet with Adam Betteridge deserves a longer outing and Tim Nail is a powerful and sensitive keyboard accompanist.
It’s 57 years since Piaf left us but shows like Andrew’s prove the lasting power of her style, her writing and her tragic brilliance.
You can catch Andrew one more time at Warren Outdoors this Sunday, 27 September. Don’t miss it. Tickets here, if you’re very lucky.
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