Edith Piaf centenary celebrated with Piaf! The Show

Legendary French singer Edith Piaf was born 19 December 1915, making this Saturday the centenary of her birth (1915 - 1963).

The perfect complement to Celtic Connections' 2016 partnership with France, during the final weekend's Showcase Scotland programme, Piaf! The Show celebrates the centenary of French music's ultimate grande dame, bringing to life her extraordinary career and character, and above all the voice and the songs, featuring 'La Vie en Rose', 'L'Hymne a L'Amour', 'Milord' and of course 'Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien' – with which she triumphed over adversity.

"Carrere's extraordinary stage presence evokes Piaf at her greatest, and at her most vulnerable" Buenos Aires Herald

With over 100 sellout shows across three continents, Piaf! – part-inspired by 2007's Oscar-winning biopic, also called La Vie En Rose – has deservedly made a star of Anne Carrere, who conjures an uncanny reincarnation of its subject across two acts, charting Piaf's rags-to-riches trajectory from the streets of Pigalle to the world's top stages.

"There is only one Edith Piaf," says singer Anne Carrere. "She had a very strong life with a lot of love and also a lot of tragedy. This has been an incredible role to prepare for and now we have performed it over 100 times in 23 countries. It is a great honor to play this role and I can't wait to bring it to Celtic Connections in January."

Carrere performs with a superb four-piece band, while atmospheric backdrop projections, including previously unseen photographs, depict Piaf amid the Paris of her day.

What: Piaf! The Show
Where: Theatre Royal
When: 7.30pm Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 January 2016
Tickets: celticconnections.com
Note: Celtic Connections runs from Thursday 14 – Sunday 31 January 2016