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Glitz, glamour, and all things showbiz star in Piaf/Dietrich at the Grand Theatre
Directed by Rachel Peake
February 17 to March 7 on the Spriet Stage at the Grand Theatre
grandtheatre.com/event/piaf-dietrich
February 10, 2026 – London, ON – The lives and music of French songbird Édith Piaf and Hollywood leading lady Marlene Dietrich are set to dazzle London audiences when Piaf/Dietrich takes the stage at the Grand Theatre.
Audiences can expect all the glitz and glamour of mid-century fame in America, all the passion and tragedy of great love affairs, and an epic set list of beloved, powerful hit songs including “La vie en rose”, “Milord”, and “Lili Marlene.” This all-new production of Erin Shield’s show-stopping adaptation will be directed by Grand Theatre Artistic Director Rachel Peake.
Originally penned in German as Spatz und Engel (The Angel and The Sparrow) by Daniel Große Boymann and Thomas Kahry, translated by Sam Madwar, and adapted by Shields, this glamorous and music-infused bio-play has trod the boards in Europe, at The Segal Centre (Montreal), and most recently at Toronto’s Mirvish where it took home the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Musical Production.
“What I love about this story, told originally through the imaginations of German Daniel Große Boymann and Austrian Thomas Kahry, and adapted for our stage by the endlessly talented Canadian Erin Shields, is that it uses music, conflict, and language to transport us,” shares Peake. “Prior to reading this play, I had no idea that these two icons even knew one another. They seem so different – Piaf wearing her heart on her sleeve and her pain in public, while Dietrich hid everything behind a mask of glamour. But friendship is funny that way, attraction is funny that way.”
Marlene Dietrich was Hollywood’s femme fatale throughout the 30s and 40s, and the name on everyone’s lips. Édith Piaf, the French chanteuse, had soared to stardom in her home country and would soon intoxicate the rest of the world with her raw, powerful songs of love and longing.
The two women were born fifteen years and 1,000 kilometres apart and found their way to both fame and each other. By the time they met, Marlene had a string of leading roles and was one of the highest-paid talents in show business. A young Édith had been singing on the streets of Paris to support herself and had written the song that would make her famous, “La vie en rose.”
Their first meeting and the lifelong, tumultuous relationship that followed are the story that will unfold on stage. Audiences will be excited to see Londoner and notable Canadian theatre talent Deborah Hay, transformed into Édith Piaf and making a much-anticipated return to the Grand after her stand-out performances in Fall On Your Knees and Mary Poppins in previous seasons. Having dazzled the world from Broadway to the West End as Chicago’s Velma Kelly, Terra C. MacLeod steps into the top hat and tuxedo tails of the smouldering Marlene Dietrich in her Grand Theatre debut.
The cast also features Karen Burthwright and Eric Craig, both with Broadway credits to their names. In fact, they have even performed together as members of the original Broadway cast of Tony Award-nominated Paradise Square. In Piaf/Dietrich, these two Canadian stars will play all of the men and women, lovers and hecklers, muses and rivals, that make up the worlds of the two showbiz legends.
To bring all the sparkle of Old Hollywood to life on stage, Peake is joined by Music Director Mary Ancheta, Choreographer Genny Sermonia, Set Designer Lorenzo Savoini, Costume Designer Ming Wong, Lighting Designer Michelle Ramsay, Sound Designer Emily Porter, Assistant Director Nicole Wilson, Intimacy Director Siobhan Richardson, Dialect Coach Phyllis Cohen, Stage Manager Suzanne McArthur, Assistant Stage Manager Melissa Cameron, and Apprentice Stage Manager Gina Woodward.
Piaf/Dietrich plays on the Spriet Stage at the Grand Theatre from February 17 until March 7. Single tickets range from $25 to $97 and are available in-person at the Box Office, by phone at (519) 672-8800, and online at https://www.grandtheatre.com/event/piaf-dietrich.
The Grand Theatre is grateful to offer Canada Life Pay What You Can pricing, presented on Sunday, February 22 at 2 p.m.
The Grand Theatre gratefully acknowledges Season Sponsor BMO, Downtown Community Partner Old Oak Properties, and Title Sponsor Womxn for Womxn for their support.
To learn more about Piaf/Dietrich at the Grand Theatre, please visit www.grandtheatre.com/event/piaf-dietrich. Follow the production and peek behind the scenes by following @thegrandlondon and #GrandPiafDietrich on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, & TikTok.
Tickets can be purchased online at grandtheatre.com, by phoning the Box Office at 519.672.8800, or by visiting the Box Office in person at 471 Richmond Street (weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).
Flex Packages are available and allow audiences to bundle Piaf/Dietrich, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Come From Away on any performance date. Visit www.grandtheatre.com/flex-packages to learn more.
Piaf/Dietrich
A Legendary Affair
By Daniel Große Boymann and Thomas Kahry
Adapted by Erin Shields from a translation by Sam Madwar
Directed by Rachel Peake
February 17 to March 7 on the Spriet Stage at the Grand Theatre
Title Sponsor: Womxn for Womxn
Creative Team
Rachel Peake – Director
Mary Ancheta – Music Director
Genny Sermonia – Choreographer
Lorenzo Savoini – Set Designer
Ming Wong – Costume Designer
Michelle Ramsay – Lighting Designer
Emily Porter – Sound Designer
Nicole Wilson – Assistant Director
Siobhan Richardson – Intimacy Director
Phyllis Cohen – Dialect Coach
Suzanne McArthur – Stage Manager
Melissa Cameron – Assistant Stage Manager
Gina Woodward – Apprentice Stage Manager
Cast
Karen Burthwright – Supporting Female
Eric Craig – Supporting Male
Deborah Hay – Édith Piaf
Terra C. MacLeod – Marlene Dietrich
Orchestra
Mary Ancheta – Conductor / Keyboard
Erik Larson – Bass
Céline Murray – Violin
Dave Robilliard – Drums
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The Grand Theatre is located on the traditional territories of the Original storytellers and caretakers of this land and the Nations, both settler and Indigenous, who continue to uphold the various treaties of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, and Lunaapéewak. We value the significant historical and contemporary contributions of local and regional First Nations, and all of the Original Peoples of Turtle Island (colonially known as North America), and acknowledge the traditional lands upon which we live, work, share, and tell stories together.
ABOUT THE GRAND THEATRE – WORLD CURIOUS. LONDON MADE.
The Grand Theatre is known for world-class theatre created and built in London, Ontario. As southwestern Ontario’s premier producing theatre and one of the most beautiful theatre spaces in Canada, the company has deep ties to the community and to its artists, artisans, and technicians.
As a vibrant cultural hub and not-for-profit professional theatre, the Grand serves to gather, inspire, and entertain audiences in London and beyond. At our home in downtown London, we create productions on two stages: the Spriet Stage (839 seats) and the Auburn Developments Stage (144 seats). The Grand season of theatrical offerings runs from September to May, and we collaborate with companies and artists across the country through our co-productions that see London-made artistic and creative work travel to audiences nation-wide. Through our successful New Play Development Program, the Grand is committed to developing and premiering new, original works and supporting the growth and reach of theatre writers and creators. Our recently renovated venue offers a contemporary and welcoming environment that is also home to several successful music series, community arts rentals, and cultural and special events.
A cornerstone of the organization is our place as a teaching theatre, exemplified in our many mentorship programs and highlighted in our annual Grand Theatre High School Project. As the first program of its kind in the country and currently in its twenty-seventh year, the High School Project involves as many as one hundred high school participants annually from schools across the region. These students participate at no cost and take on roles both on stage and off, in a fully realized mainstage production under the direction of a professional creative team.
For more information, visit: grandtheatre.com.
MEDIA CALL
When: Tuesday, February 17 at 1:00 p.m. (Cameras, please arrive at 12:30 p.m. to set up)
Where: Spriet Stage, Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond Street, London, Ontario
What: Photo, video, and interview opportunities for media.
PHOTOGRAPHY
When available, production photography will be added to the linked folder above. If you are working towards a deadline and are including photography, please contact Melissa Mae Shipley for the best and fastest options available at any moment. Melissa can be reached via email at mshipley [at] grandtheatre.com (mshipley[at]grandtheatre[dot]com) or by phone at 519.672.9030 x266.
FOR MORE INFORMATION & ALL MEDIA INQUIRIES
Melissa Mae Shipley, Communications and Public Relations Manager
mshipley [at] grandtheatre.com (mshipley[at]grandtheatre[dot]com)
office: 519.672.9030 x266
cell: 519.280.4008
