Le Bourgeois gentilhomme ・ Comédie-Française

In June 2021, the Valérie Lesort-Christian Hecq duo presented an astonishing « Bourgeois Gentilhomme », set to the lively rhythms of Balkan music.

“Turqueries" were in fashion in 1670 when Molière wrote this comedy for a lavish royal occasion. It excelled both in the representation of the exoticism in vogue at the time, and in its caricature of a middle-class social climber keen to adopt the good manners that are the hallmark of “quality people”. The entire stage is taken over by the flighty behaviour of this man who clumsily practices dancing and fencing, or tries to learn philosophy with childish simplicity. His wife and maid are the first to make fun of him, objecting to his increasingly authoritarian stance, especially when he refuses to give his daughter’s hand to Cléonte because he is not a noble. The mockery is further intensified thanks to the valet’s ruse of introducing the lover into the family home disguised as a “great Turk”, offering a crowd-pleasing finale with the Mamamouchi scene.
Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq happily make use of everything that feeds the eccentricity of this Monsieur Jourdain, frantically attracted to all things royal: “He is boundlessly naive and this naivety is particularly touching. Like many artists, we work with child audiences and Molière makes his Bourgeois a child playing pretend.” This show for all audiences is replete with poetic charm and childhood games madness.

This show premiered on January 18, 2021 at the Salle Richelieu

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Creative team

Direction: Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq
Scenography: Éric Ruf
Costumes: Vanessa Sannino
Lighting: Pascal Laajili
Original music and arrangements: Mich Ochowiak and Ivica Bogdanić
Choreographic work: Rémi Boissy
Puppets: Carole Allemand and Valérie Lesort
Assistant direction: Florimond Plantier
Assistant scenography: Julie Camus
Assistant costumes: Claire Fayel