Professor David Peimer
Édith Piaf (the ‘Little Sparrow’): Remarkable Life, Remarkable Singer
Summary
Professor David Peimer discusses the life and work of Édith Piaf (1915–1963), a French singer best known for performing songs in the cabaret and modern chanson genres. She is widely regarded as France’s greatest popular singer and one of the most celebrated performers of the 20th century.
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a Professor of Literature, Film and Theatre in the UK. He has worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, New York University (Global Division) and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing in New York, UK, Berlin, EU Parliament (Brussels), Athens, Budapest, Zululand and more. He has most recently directed Dame Janet Suzman in his own play, Joanna’s Story, at London Jewish Book Week. He has published widely with books including: Armed Response: Plays from South Africa, the digital book, Theatre in the Camps. He is on the board of the Pinter Centre (London), and has been involved with the Mandela Foundation, Vaclav Havel Foundation and directed a range of plays at Mr Havel’s Prague theatre.
As far as I know, virtually nothing. Very, very little in those times. Got to remember, this is after the, after the first World War, going into the ‘20s. And, you know, I think she’s really been taught in the brothel, the grandmother and the prostitutes, and then she’s travelling as, for years with her father in, as a circus and street performer.
Just natural. She started singing with her father. She started singing in the brothel, actually, then with her father, briefly, and then just started singing on the streets, travelling with her father. Literally get a few bucks, coins thrown, you know, in a hat, a little box in the streets. That’s how she started singing.
Not as far as I know, I did look into that. I don’t think so.