Le Bourgeois gentilhomme ・ Comédie-Française

Last June, the tandem of Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq created a remarkable Bourgeois gentilhomme, to the lively rhythm of Balkan music.

“Turqueries" were in fashion in 1670 when Molière wrote this comedy for one of the opulent royal celebrations. It excelled both in the representation of this 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 given over to the flighty behaviour of this man who clumsily practices dancing and fencing, or applies himself to philosophy with a child’s 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 classic finale with the Mamamouchi scene. Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq happily make use of everything that feeds the eccentricity of this Monsieur Jourdain who is frantically attracted to anything to do with royalty: “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 eager to ‘play pretend’”.
Valérie Lesort
Christian Hecq

Comédie-ballet

Production premiered on 18 June 2021 Salle Richelieu
Work first performed: 14 October 1670 at the Château de Chambord
Comédie-Française premiere: 4 October 1680 at the Théâtre de l’Hôtel Guénégaud
1,791 performances of the work by the Comédie-Française since its premiere, including 23 in this production

With the patronage of Grant Thornton

IN CINEMAS

Creative team

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

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