The most famous of the hilarious; heartbreaking comedies with which Marivaux shocked and delighted eighteenth-century Paris. A wickedly funny translation; as performed at the Royal National Theatre.
#2882154 in eBooks 2007-01-17 2007-01-17File Name: B00DBWBW2E
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Feydeau is hilarious!By Jane AHow can you not love Feydeau. The French comic Shakespeare.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great French FarceBy NavarreGreat classic farces by one of Fraces finest. Quick delivery!4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A GREAT PLAYWRIGHTBy Olivier ComteThe description by is excellent.Feydeau was a master of theatre; not only vaudeville (all of his plays) as the genre is called in France (not the same thing as american vaudeville).The plays have more depth than modern farces by Ray Cooney.It is more than farce; and it is certainly not; as french critics and directors like to say an ensemble of mechanical plots; withfarcical predictable characters.One of the usual tricks; but expected; like a well known story must be enjoyed; is to have the character threatened by disclosure of an awkward action; see the entrance of a character who is supposed to be faraway; bedridden; unknown by the wife...Adultery is not the aim of some characters in all the plays (for instance the Lady from Maxims; the longest one; three hours performance). Feydeau is well known for his precise stage instructions; including the companies from which to rent or buy he props.The plotting is worthy of a "who done it?" mystery.Lies; misunderstandings are not just plot tricks. We find them in the great Marivaux.Feydeau was also a master of the language and we can read the plays with equal pleasure; if not a greater pleasure. The translations are excellent.Some of his one act plays are pure gems (no question of bedrooms)In fact he is a master of french litterature as a whole; only surpassed in his domain; earlier by Labiche and Gondinet; and followed by Sacha Guitry (with his dreary historical lays); Jacque Deval and Louis Verneuil; and lesser but good writersThe vaudeville is stll alive as "theacute;acirc;tre de boulevard". Long may he live!For the time being; enjoy!