For Edith Piaf

Organised by the Embassy of Switzerland, on occasion of the week of the Francophonie, <<For Edith Piaf>> is a musical journey in the France of the Thirties and Fifties through Edith Piaf’s songs. [date 2012]

On occasion of the week of the Francophonie, the Embassy of Switzerland presents For Edith Piaf, a musical journey in the France of the Thirties and Fifties through Edith Piaf’s songs. 

Direction: Pino Di Buduo 
With: Nathalie Mentha 
Duration: 60 minutes 

Programme: 

Pudducherry 
Date: Sunday, 11th March 2012 
Venue: Tantidhara International Theatre Festival, Pudducherry 

Ahmedabad 
Date: Saturday, 17th March 2012, 8.00 pm 
Venue: Gujarati Sahitya Kala Parishad auditorium, Ahmedabad; Entry free 

Date: Sunday, 18th March 2012 
Ahmedabad Theatre Workshop: Voice and Movement with Fanatika Theatre Club 

Kolkota 
Date: Tuesday, 20th March 2012, 6.30 pm 
Venue: Rabindranath Tagore Centre, ICCR Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Kolkata 

New Delhi 
Date: Saturday, 22nd March 2012, 7.00 pm 
Venue: M.L. Bhartia Auditorium Alliance Française de Delhi, 72, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi, Entry Free 

Brief 
The performance is a musical journey in the France of the Thirties and Fifties through Edith Piaf‟s songs. Stories of lives in the environment of the French gangsters, stories of women in love, stories of passions, of dreams, of memories. It is the tale of a period, 1939, a historical moment highly alive through all Europe. It is the period of Jacques Prévert‟s poetry, of Cartier-Bresson‟s photography, of Jean Cocteau‟s theatre tales, of the coming of the Second World War which destroys so many families, of the songs for Charlie Chaplin‟s films, of the images of the characters of De Sica‟s film “Roma Città Aperta”, of the Frech Resistance, of the struggle for life, for love. The performance theme, the soul which ties the stories, and maybe more Edith Piaf‟s soul seems to be: “don‟t ever stop believing in love, whatever happens”. Performances: Salvador de Bahia; Rieti; Fara Sabina (RI); Abbiategrasso (MI); Bari; Bergamo; Roma; Caserta. 

Nathalie Mentha 
Nathalie Mentha was born in Geneva. After completing school, she joined the Theatre School of the Swiss Clown Dimitri. From 1979 Nathalie Mentha lives in Italy and works with the Potlach Theatre. She has worked in the productions like “The Dry Tree‟s Dances”, “Pearls Fishermen”, “Before the Fest is over” , “Sailors‟ Dreams” , “Joan of the Spirits”, “Opera Tango‟s Emigrants”, “The Conductors”, “Images Page 3 of 6 Parade”, “Turandot”, “Shakespeare Project”, “Mediterranean Myths”, “Imaginary Ambassadors”, “Felliniana”, “Viva la Vita”, “To Edith Piaf”, “Hotel Europa”, “20.000 Leagues under the seas”. With the Potlach Theater Nathalie Mentha also works as a pedagogue in schools and universities and has synthesised her experience in two work demonstrations: Memories, Sand Tales. She conducts workshops on Voice and Space, Fights of Clowns, Street Theater, Marco Polo project. Since 1991 she has been participating in the conception and organisation of INVISIBLE CITIES (Intercultural and interdisciplinary project with local associations and professional artists from every part of the world) directed by Pino Di Buduo . 

Organised by the Embassy of Switzerland in partnership with Tantidhara International Theatre Festival, Pudducherry Alliances Françaises in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Delhi Fanatika Theatre Club, Ahmedabad Titagarh Wagons Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata