Cast

Synopsis

A classic French comedy, set in 1668, lavish costumes, a period set and a group of characters, some sympathetic and some absurd, entwined in all the mistakes and misunderstandings which later generations have come to call “farce’. As funny today as when it was written 300 years ago.

Directors Notes

Moliere wrote the play in 1668 and it was received with considerable apathy, being given only nine performances in the first month. After the second of them the receipts dropped by 50% and by the seventh, the box-office took only 143 lives compared with 1069 at the opening.

His previous play, ‘Tartuffe’ had been banned and having no new piece ready there was a series of revivals before ‘L’Avare’ could appear. It failed for two reasons; the Court was baffled and affronted by a five act comedy in prose – verse was the accepted medium – and the violence of the quarrel between father and children was something not previously seen on the stage; it upset among others Jean-Jacques Rousseau who condemned the play as ‘immoral’.

Despite its apparent failure imitations were plentiful and in 1672 Shadwell wrote an English version to be followed by a rather closer translation by Henry Fielding. ‘L’Avare’ is currently in the repertoire of the Comedie Francaise (in a very gloomy and sombre production) and is approaching its 2,500th performance since 1668.

Miles Malleson’s adaptation dispenses with one minor character, introduces another and re-shapes the play. It is 37 years since B.L.T. first presented this piece, and Bob Green is happily re-inhabiting the role of M. Simon. For this production we have set a play rather later than its original date.