Le Bourgeois gentilhomme ・ Comédie-Française

In June 2021, the Valérie Lesort-Christian Hecq duo presented an astonishing “Bourgeois gentilhomme”, set to the lively rythms 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 deemed the hallmark of “quality people”. The entire stage is taken over by the flighty behaviour of a man clumsily practicing dancing and fencing, or giving philosophy a try with childlike simplicity. His wife and maid are the first to make fun of him, objecting his increasingly authoritarian stance, especially when he refuses to let his daughter marry 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 exploit everything that feeds the eccentricity of a Monsieur Jourdain frantically attracted to all things royal: “He is boundlessly naive and this naiveté is particularly touching. Like many artists, our work is based on childlike wonder. Molière’s Bourgeois is a child playing pretend. […] Childhood dreams are the most powerful type because they have not been yet tarnished by the shackles of educations and norms. These dreams are pure.” This show for all audiences is replete with poetic charm and the madness of childhood games.

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

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BOOKING OPENS ON
JAN 25

Creative team

Directed by: Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq
Scenography: Éric Ruf
Costumes: Vanessa Sannino
Lights: Pascal Laajili
Original music and arrangements: Mich Ochowiak and Ivica Bogdanić
Choreographic work: Rémi Boissy
Puppets: Carole Allemand and Valérie Lesort
Assistant director: Florimond Plantier
Assistant scenography: Julie Camus
Assistant costume designer: Claire Fayel

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