COLIN  HILL, director, introduces the play

Molière was a prolific writer and in some literary quarters is regarded as the French Shakespeare.  His impact on his time was considerable, managing to poke fun at high society as well as upsetting the Roman Catholic Church.  That he survived both these actions was no mean feat in seventeenth century France and is thanks to the patronage of the king.

The GWT is committed to include in its repertoire, the works of celebrated foreign writers as well as writers from earlier centuries, so it is rather surprising that in more than sixty years we have presented only two of his plays, The Imaginary Invalid in 1969 and Tartuffe in 1989.  What's even more surprising to me is that I performed in both of 'em! 

Our established Molière gap of twenty years is upon us, so here comes number three!

The Miser tells the story of the rapacious Harpagon, who keeps his servants badly clothed and his horses badly fed.  He resents spending on anything and despairs at the money his grown-up children spend to make themselves presentable.  The mystery is where their spending money comes from, because they get nothing from their father, or do they?  Harpagon's only love and his main pre-occupation is his money which is hidden away from imagined robbers who he is sure are waiting for the slightest opportunity to relieve him of it.

Harpagon is a widower and has plans to secure a dowry for himself by marrying a beautiful young girl who lives with her aged mother in the town.  She is a fairly new arrival, but Harpagon's son Cléante has met her and fallen in love with her and the passion is reciprocated.  Cléante is more than annoyed when he realises that his father is his rival in love.

Harpagon's daughter, Élise, has a secret love too.  She has fallen for the recently arrived steward, Valère, who loves her passionately.  Unfortunately, Harpagon has contracted her in marriage to the elderly, wealthy, Count Anselm, the Chief Magistrate, who lives in splendid isolation at the posh end of the town.  Harpagon has arranged an unnamed widow for his son Cléante to marry. 

The action of the play is contained within one day and all these liaisons are planned for the evening, so time is of the essence if Harpagon's plans are to be thwarted and for true love to succeed.  

We have some established performers in our excellent cast, some who are returning after a long absence and one young lady making her debut. Michelle Scott and Lee Devlin who didn't quite make marriage work in Private Lives last year as Elyot and Sybil Chase, are giving love another go this time as Élise and Valère. David Oatley, who gave a highly entertaining portrayal of the orderly, Private Mason in this season's Journey's End, plays the rascally Harpagon and David Puckridge, who played Nicholas Holroyd, the witch's brother, in Bell, Book and Candle  last December, is his frustrated son Cléante.  Nick Fomings returns after a ten-year absence from our stage to play Harpagon's long-suffering servant Jacques. Marianne, the love interest of both Harpagon and Cléante is played by our latest debutante Lauren Oliver.

The cast is completed by GWT regulars, some of whom have already appeared in this season and some who have not.

I think you will witness a very funny play with plenty of twists and turns and a "Star Wars" conclusion.

Do come along and see what unfolds

BILL  BRAY  introduces Molière

You have to feel sorry for Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, who you may know by his preferred name of Molière. He came on to the theatrical scene at the time when classic French drama was considered the peak of theatrical experience. This consisted of plays in restricted verse of alexandrines: lines of 6 double beats (di-dum),  rather than the much more conversational iambic pentameter of 5 double beats used in the English theatre by Shakespeare. The language inevitably affected the style of acting, of movement, of staging and of costume and decor. Subjects were usually from mythic Greece or Rome. The major writers in this rarefied air of French court theatre were Corneille and  Racine.

Molière, as a young actor, joined a lesser company, which failed and his only recourse was then to become an itinerant touring player in the provinces.   He dearly wanted to be part of the theatrical establishment and to write classical tragedy, which meant, of course,  gaining the patronage of the Court.

Molière’s early disappointment turned out to be European theatre’s gain. For over thirteen years the company, of which he soon became the director, toured France performing improvised farces in commedia dell’arte style and gaining valuable experience and then, in October 1658, they appeared at the Louvre before Louis XIV himself and his Court. A typical tragedy was presented and was coolly received, but when the actors appeared in one of Molière’s own comedies (regrettably now lost), the king was delighted. On Louis’ command the company was settled in Paris, sharing a theatre with a commedia dell’arte troupe and paying rent to its leader Tiberio Fiorillo, known as Scaramouche. They got on well together and Molière was always keen to give credit to the Italians for their influence, their much freer style of performance which owed much to improvisation and established joke scenarios.

In 1673 Molière died at the early age of 51, soon after his last appearance on stage in the name role of his own play, The Imaginary Invalid. He had married a young actress in the company, Armande Bejart and, although the marriage was unhappy, he wrote several leading parts for her, including Elise in The Miser.

Many consider that Molière raised French comedy to be on a par with French tragedy. His plays remain very French and, although often adapted from Spanish and Italian originals, the characters are firmly rooted in French soil. After his death his company, now directed by his widow and her second husband, was amalgamated with two other companies to form the Comédie-Francaise, still the national theatre of France. It is sometimes known as La Maison de Molière.