The lifespan of a theatre production can usually be counted on the fingers of one hand. If three fingers are needed, it is already a success; if all five are needed, we can speak of something truly exceptional. Extremely rare are those productions that manage to count their years on the fingers of both hands. These are legendary productions. And there are almost no productions for which even the fingers of the second hand would not be enough. They are monoliths that defy time while confirming the indestructible power of theatre – an art form that is, by its very nature, bound to transience. And that is precisely why every such monolith that surpasses the theatrical lifespan of all ten fingers deserves special attention.

PIAF EDITH PIAF is one such monolith. Twenty – yes, twenty – years have passed since its premiere at Café Union, on an ideal stage that unfortunately no longer operates, perhaps one of the finest cabaret venues Ljubljana has ever had.

What happened at the Café on that December evening was certainly never conceived as something that would still be alive and pulsating twenty years later. There were no production funds, but there was an enormous amount of enthusiasm. A young creative team at the beginning of their theatrical careers, too little time, too much work, and a determination to complete the project regardless of the form it would eventually take.

And it developed into a form in which there is not a single unnecessary detail, where nothing has “aged”, where no dust has settled on any of Vesna’s gestures. Everything remains exactly where it belongs: clear, pure, direct, emotionally charged and powerful.

The success of Vesna Pernarčič Žunić’s musical and theatrical interpretation of Edith Piaf – still accompanied musically (and on stage!) by Joži Šalej – was confirmed by the premiere itself, by the Borštnik Award for Best Actress, by numerous performances in the sold-out Linhart Hall at Cankarjev dom, and by the production’s remarkable anniversary.

Performs and sings: VESNA PERNARČIČ ŽUNIĆ
Piano: JOŽI ŠALEJ
Director: TIJANA ZINAJIĆ
Writer and producer: JOŽE PERNARČIČ
Adaptation and dramaturgy: ANDREJ JAKLIČ
Costume and set design: JASNA VASTEL
Musical director: ŽARE PRINČIČ
Lighting design: IGOR REMETA
Sound engineer: MATEJ PERNARČIČ
Language consultant: ARKO

The performance will take place on Saturday, 21 November 2026, at 8:00 PM at the Izola Cultural Centre.

Tickets:

• advance sale: €18
• on the day of the event: €23

The performance is also part of the THEATRE SUBSCRIPTION SERIES. The Theatre Subscription will be available for purchase until the first performance (16 October 2026).

The Theatre Subscription includes the following performances:

• 16 October 2026 – Tadej Toš: RESNO? NE SE HECAT
• 21 November 2026 – Piaf Edith Piaf (Vesna Pernarčič Žunić)
• 16 January 2027 – Zadnja večerja
• 26 February 2027 – Veličastna (Siti teater)
• 12 March 2027 – Norišnica (Matjaž Javšnik)

Subscription price: €100
Pensioners, university students and secondary-school students: €90