The country and city where the Comédie Francaise is located. Theater Comédie Francaise in Paris: a detailed description

The Comédie Francaise in Paris is one of the greatest assets of the world theatrical art. Of course, it is not as famous as its closest neighbor - the Grand Opera - but many theatergoers consider it their duty to visit this place at least once in their lives.

Comedie Francaise Theater

Many connoisseurs know this place under the more common name - French Theater. People who speak melodic language call it Comédie-Française. Finally, in some sources you can also find a completely unusual name - Theater-Français. But the theater became so famous not because of the variety of names and not even because of its repertoire, filled with a huge number of interesting plays.

Expert opinion

Knyazeva Victoria

Guide to Paris and France

The official website of the theater says that this is the first institution of its kind, financed from the budget money by the government. The reason for this is not known for certain, but some believe that the theater is listed as a cultural monument of the country. Which is not surprising given its long and varied history.

The cultural heritage is located in the equally famous Palais Royal Palace, located in the first arrondissement of Paris - the oldest of all that has survived to our times.

Comédie Francaise in Paris official website

Of course, people do not come to the romantic capital every day. Such a trip is a real holiday for the whole family, but theatergoers even plan the date of the trip in such a way in order to get to the most interesting performances. And for this they watch how the great Comédie Francaise works in Paris on the official website.

History of the Eiffel Tower

On this resource, you can see the time of performances for the next month, admire the surroundings of a magical place, or even order tickets. In addition, there you can hear the great history of the theater first hand, told by its owners, the ancestors of the founders and even the actors.

But keep in mind: since it is geographically located in France, its page is also in French. Like all performances, however.

Comedy Francaise repertoire

Of course, the Comédie Francaise theater is loved not only for its rich history. Its distinguishing feature is considered to be talented actors and directors, who together write new lines in the book of this place. His team has long allowed itself to deviate from tradition, because most of the theatrical productions in France are created on the basis of an enterprise.

These are private productions, where the main roles are played by non-permanent actors. Usually such a team is not too large - about 2-5 people.

But if this theater also followed tradition, it would not be so great. Its owners gather talent from all over the world, constantly inviting foreign directors. Thanks to this, the band's repertoire ranges from dramas to comedies.

Creation of the theater Comédie Francaise

The Comedie Francaise theater was created on the basis of a large-scale tragedy: the death of Molière. This comedian managed to win the hearts of thousands of fans, so his untimely death left many in grief. But it dealt the strongest blow to his theater, which remained in splendid isolation. Their competitors, the Burgundy Hotel, did not fail to take advantage of this opportunity, and began to gradually destroy the popularity of the troupe.

Picasso Museum

But this was not destined to happen. Louis XIV in 1680 issued a decree in which he ordered the two establishments to be merged into one. And almost on the same day, the new team already performed on stage. It did not last long - already in 1793 the troupe was arrested, and their offspring was closed, declaring it illegal.

Napoleon gave new life to the theater, in 1812 he approved the new charter of the collective, which is still in force. Since that time, there have been practically no structural changes in the theater.

Actors of the Comedie Francaise

Sarah Bernard

Comedy Francaise in Paris is also famous for its cast - it seems as if all the great talents of our world have gathered in one place and in one era.

Stars such as:

• Sara Bernard.
• Cleron.
• George Rachel.
• Edmond Go.
• Jacques Toja.
• Leontine Fey.
• Louis Seigner and others.

Martin Chevalier

The modern cast is practically not inferior to the old guard. On the stage you can see such people as: Martin Chevalier, Veronica Vella, Michel Favori, Anna Kesler, Cecile Brun, Sylvia Berge, Bruno Raphael, Alan Lengled, Florence Viala - and other stars of the modern scene.

The troupe includes both young girls and adult men, so the range of possible roles is huge. The team consists of 54 actors, so the directors have a place to play.

Buy tickets to Comédie Francaise

To get in Comédie Francaise in Paris not everyone can, and it's not even about the amount for the performance. On the contrary, it is quite small - the most expensive price for viewing a production is 39 euros. More often there are cheaper places.

Montparnasse: tower of Paris

But in order to get a ticket, you will have to stand in a huge queue, as the theater is very popular among both tourists and locals. Usually places are sold out for several months in advance, and during especially busy hours - for six months.

"Comédie Francaise" - the name of the theater "Theatre Francais", French theater, French comedy theater. One of the oldest Western European professional theaters, it was created in 1680 by decree of King Louis XIV, who merged the Molière Theater (which had previously merged with the Marais Theatre) with the Burgundy Hotel Theatre. The troupe of the theater included 27 actors, including M. Chanmelet, M. Baron, P. Poisson, Ch. Lagrange, A. Bejart and others. The theater received a royal subsidy of 12,000 livres, and it was directed by superintendents appointed by the king, who determined the repertoire, the composition of the troupe, etc. The Comédie Francaise was an acting partnership (societe). Incomes were divided into 24 shares, the main participants of the partnership - "societers" - were entitled to a whole share or part of it. The theater troupe also included "pensioners" - actors who received a salary. From the day the theater was founded until 1715, the king also had at his disposal half of the share, which he gave at his own discretion to the actors invited by him personally, without agreement with the troupe. Actor-shareholders were not interested in increasing the number of shares, as the income figure for each of them was decreasing. Pensioners, as it were, were in the service and received a salary, regardless of the amount of theater income. They were recruited from provincial or private theaters in Paris. A pensioner could be promoted to societer by voting at a general meeting of societers held once a year. Then he was assigned either a full share, or a part of the share, depending on participation in the life of the theater.

"Comedy Francaise" began to work in the building of the hotel Genego on the street. Mazarin, and in 1687 moved to st. Fossé-Saint-Germain-des-Prés (now Rue du Vie Comédie), where he remained until 1770. In 1771, the troupe played at the Tuileries, in the hall in which the Convention met during the years of the revolution. In 1782, the Comédie Francaise moved into the premises where the Odéon Theater was later founded. From 1802 to the present, the theater has been operating on the street. Richelieu in the Palais Royal area.

Comédie Francaise building

In the 18th century, the theater was closely associated with the court and the aristocracy - the actors were called "ordinary actors of the king" and were subordinate to four court dignitaries, who in turn managed the theater. The chamber junkers (as they were called) had the full right to preview all the plays scheduled for production, could interfere in the distribution of roles and accept new members into the troupe.

In the theater of this time, it was also customary to allocate seats for noble spectators right on the sides of the proscenium. Naturally, the actors could hear any noise or conversation during the performance. These special "places of honor" were gradually forced out of the stage, as the audience often interfered with the actors.

Shortly after the creation of the Comedie Francaise, the theater gained fame as the largest in France. The position of the “royal theatre”, that is, having a stable material base, made it possible to invite the most talented actors to the theater troupe. The theater had a monopoly on the performance of the best national dramatic works, which attracted such famous playwrights as J.F. Renjar, F.K. Dankur, A.R. Lesage, F. Detouche, P.K. Nivelle de Lachosse, P. Marivaux. From the very beginning of the emergence of the theater, two acting schools were represented in it, which were called "Rasinovskaya" and "Moliere". The first was represented by actors of the tragic classicist repertoire. The largest representative of the Racine school is Racine's favorite student and the best performer of his tragedies, the "sweet-sounding" Marie Chanmelet, who worked in the theater until 1697. It was under the guidance of Racine that she preserved in her performance a high culture of poetic speech, majestic nobility and grace. After Racine left the theatre, Chanmelet, deprived of reliable guidance, often returned to that rough theatrical recitation, against which Racine himself fought. Chanmele was the Baron's main opponent. The most important actor of the Molière school was the Baron, the last student of the great comedian. The Baron was the only one of Moliere's students who devoted himself mainly to tragedy. However, he understood his tasks differently, especially in the field of theatrical recitation. In the first place in the reading of poetry, he put forward not the melodic side of the verse, but the thought contained in it. For the sake of the naturalness of the game, he obscured the rhyme, broke the rhythm of the Alexandrian verse, with which the tragedies were written, brought it closer to prose, maintained long pauses in the middle of the tirade and resorted to such techniques as unacceptable from the point of view of the classicist recitation, such as whispering, sobbing, sobbing, etc. He violated the ceremonial and ceremonious behavior of the tragic hero. He was the first to introduce the principle of communication with a partner, unprecedented in the French theater. There was a struggle between Chanmelé and the Baron for eleven years, until the Baron unexpectedly left the stage in the full bloom of his glory.

From the first quarter of the 18th century, the Comédie Française theater staged works by French enlighteners who saw theatrical art as a means of enlightening and educating the people. In 1718-1778, the basis of the tragic repertoire was the dramatic works of Voltaire, the plays of Diderot, P. Beaumarchais. As a “royal” theater, the Comedie Francaise was certainly conservative to a certain extent: it retained the traditions of aristocratic classicism with its characteristic scenic convention, exaggerated affectation, decorative plasticity of acting poses, melodious, “howling” recitation, which received the most vivid expression in the acting art of the next generation - Beaubourg, Duclos. In 1717, a new actress joined the theater troupe, who made a strong reputation for herself in the provinces - Andrienne Lecouvrere. She debuted with great success as Monima in Racine's Mithridates. She played simply, sincerely, truthfully and was, according to Voltaire, "so touching that she made me shed tears." If Duclos was an actress of strength, then Lecouvreur excelled where subtle performance was required. She, like the Baron, appreciated her partner, knew how to listen to him. And when in 1729 the old actor Baron returned to the stage again, it was in Lecouvreur that he saw his successor, happily talked with her, but death in the same year cut short his care for the young actress, who also died tragically early - a year later, being 38 - mi years old. All Paris stubbornly talked about the fact that she was poisoned by a high-society rival lady - this is how the cause of her death is depicted in Scribe's melodrama Andrienne Lecouvrere. Another of the first attempts to change the image of the tragic heroine is associated with the name of this actress - in one of the tragedies of Corneille, she went on stage in a black dress, devoid of fashionable embroideries and jewelry (as was customary) and without a wig, with loose hair. Tragic actresses at that time always performed in magnificent court dresses.

The whole history of the development of the drama theater, the history of the struggle of various theatrical and literary trends, was reflected in its repertoire, in its acting school. Throughout the 18th century, theatrical classicism receded and changed. Actors of the new generation M. Baron, A. Lecouvreur, M. Dumesnil, A. Lequin, while retaining the old features of the acting school, strove at the same time to update it - to make recitation more psychologically justified, to make stage behavior more natural. However, the noble grandeur and monumentality of theatrical classicism had to give way to gallant eroticism, exquisite decorativeness and ornamentality. Mademoiselle Gossen and Mademoiselle Dangeville played in this style at the Grandval Theatre. Granval was refined - he perfectly mastered the secret of "marivodage" - the gallant high-society jargon of the 18th century. He brought the atmosphere of aristocratic salons to the stage. But the realistic manner of performance is increasingly replacing the classical manner of the actors of the old generation: the actress Dumesnil, with whom no one could compare in terms of the power of influence on the auditorium, playing in the tragedies of the classicists, in the tragedies of Voltaire, knew how to make the auditorium cry, creating images of "tragic mothers" . She, playing royal persons, did not walk sedately and measuredly, but, protecting her son from the hand of the murderer, in an instant, with one jump, she found herself next to him, exclaiming with tears in her eyes: “Stop, barbarian, this is my son!” The hall trembled. She could break all the rules of court etiquette and, for example, crawl down the steps of the tomb, again playing the queen. Crawl queen! And this is in the court theater! This actress played by instinct and therefore was excellent in all situations and in all dramas where passion reigned. She knew how to plunge the audience into fear and horror, into sorrow and admiration. Cleron is another brilliant name of the theatre, followed by Henri-Louis Lequin, a favorite actor and student of Voltaire, who did a great job on himself, constantly improving his skills, he became one of the leading "first actors" of the theater, although his appearance did not favor him, it would seem, to the main roles. Leken's art denied gallant prettiness and pampered grace. His element was severe power, energy, dynamics of passions. He was the first actor who lived in other people's thoughts (i.e. heroes) as if they were his own. He replayed all the Voltaire roles. In 1759, Lequin began directing work at the Comédie Française. Having received an extensive stage at his full disposal, Leken, first of all, discarded the standard scenery of the “palace in general”, in which all tragedies were performed, regardless of their content. He introduced the habit of staging any new tragedy in a special scenery, and even changing them if the play required it. He paid great attention to the mise-en-scene of the tragedy. Usually the actors came to the fore (proscenium) and there uttered their monologues. Leken began to place the actors on different plans of the stage in picturesque groups, and began to introduce transitions. His death on February 8, 1778 was an exceptionally tragic loss for the French theatre. It happened shortly before the death of his teacher Voltaire. The latter arrived in Paris after a long absence on the very day of Lequesne's funeral and fainted at the news of his death. But he had successors and students.

During the years of the French Revolution (1789–1794), the Comédie Francaise was renamed and became known as the Theater of the Nation. The political struggle during the revolution led to a split in the troupe (in 1792). By the end of 1789, two opposing political groups emerged in the theater. Supporters of the revolution and the patriotic repertoire grouped around the young actor Talma. The group of "blacks", that is, royalist actors, who could not bear the fact that the stalls of their theater was filled with niello, included many of the leading actors of the theater. The formal reason for the final split was the story around the play "Charles IX". This play was successfully staged 33 times. Its interpretation was revolutionary, that is, anti-monarchist. The royalist actors ensured that she was removed from the repertoire. But the spectators, among whom were Danton, Mirabeau, the deputies of the departments, the mass of the revolutionary people, violently intervened in the affairs of the theater. Two thousand people before the performance shouted: "Charles IX!" The performance had to be resumed, but the theater management took advantage of the illness of the actress Vestris and the departure of the actor who played the cardinal. Then Talma spoke to the audience. He said that the performance would take place at all costs - the actress Vestris, out of patriotic feelings, would play, despite her illness, and he, Talma, would simply read the role of the cardinal from a notebook. The applause of the audience was stormy. The performance took place. Talma's conflict with the troupe took on ominous proportions. The enraged lead actor slapped him, followed by a duel. The royalist actors decided to expel Talma from the theater troupe, which caused a huge scandal in the auditorium until the intervention of the city authorities. In such a situation, of course, coexistence was impossible. The revolution also passed through the main theater of France. Actor F.J. Talma (1763-1826), the greatest French actor, fascinated by civil tendencies in art, who embodied the heroic-revolutionary orientation in his work, together with J.B. Dugazon, F. Vestris left the Comedie Francaise and organized the Theater of the Republic. In this theater there was a "Jacobin repertoire". Talma played the role of the tyrant Henry VIII in Chenier's play, as well as the role of a just judge, a fighter against the aristocracy, a folk hero, and a patriot. His heroes fought for justice. But he was not so revolutionary as to forget about the stable, protective tendencies of his art. After the counter-revolutionary coup of 1794, anti-Jacobin plays appeared on the stage of the Theater of the Republic.

In January 1793, the actors of the Theater of the Nation, that is, the Comédie Francaise, shortly before the execution of Louis XVI, showed the play The Friend of the Laws. Her central images were caricatures of Robespierre and Marat. The spectacle, of course, was equally ardently received by supporters of the monarchy. But the Jacobin Leaflet of Public Salvation angrily demanded the closure of this theater as an "unclean den" dominated by "Prussian and Austrian henchmen."

As a result, the Committee of Public Safety issued a decision to close the Theater of the Nation and to arrest its actors. The actors who remained in the Theater of the Nation were arrested in 1793 by the Jacobin authorities for staging "reactionary plays" and released only after the overthrow of Robespierre in 1794.

In 1799, both parts of the troupe united again, and the theater received its former historical name. The “Moscow Decree” of Napoleon in 1812 once again approved the internal structure of the Comedie Francaise theater, which was subsequently confirmed by decrees of 1850, 1859, 1901, 1910, and also strengthened the position of the theater as a privileged and subordinate to state authorities.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Comédie Francaise still represented exemplary national dramaturgy and occupied a protective-conservative position in art. In the tragedies of the national playwrights Lemercier and Renoir, the leading actors of the theater played: Talma, Duchenois, Georges, Lafont, Mars. Talma is still one of the greatest actors in the French theater. At this time, he plays mainly the heroes of Shakespeare's tragedies. In the last years of his life, Talma was actively engaged in teaching practice. On the eve of the revolution of 1830, romantic dramas by Victor Hugo were staged on the theater stage. The heroic theme before the revolution of 1848 sounded in the work of the famous actress Rachel. Then came a period of “calm” in the theater, when plays of the petty-bourgeois sense by playwrights E. Scribe, E. Ogier, light and entertaining plays by A. Dumas-son, V. Sardou were played on the stage. The outstanding actress Hagar was forced to leave the theater after 1871 for her sympathy with the Paris Commune. In the art of other tragic actors of the late nineteenth century - Sarah Bernard, J. Mounet-Sully, the features of academicism and stylization intensified. At the same time, a comedy was actively staged, in which many talented actors played - the most brilliant of them were Go and Coquelin. Their roles were distinguished by their fine finish, strict logic, and the ability to reveal the special character of the hero.

At the end of the 19th century, on the stage of the famous theater, the works of realist playwrights - Beck, Frans, Renard, and later - Fabre were performed. The classical repertoire is also expanding - it includes works by P. Merimet, O. Balzac, A. Musset, Shakespeare. The end of the 19th - the beginning of the 20th century, as in other European cultures, was marked by the formation of the director's theater - the figure of the director as the creator of the performance acquires enormous weight and significance. A significant event for the "Comédie Francaise" in the 30s of the twentieth century was the invitation to the production of such major directors as J. Copeau, L. Jouvet, C. Dullin, G. Baty. The name of this theater is associated with the work of other outstanding actors and directors of the modern theater - J.L. Barro, M. Bel, J. Yonelle, B.-M. Bowie, B. Bretty et al.

The oldest national theater in France is also called the "House of Molière" - leading French actors and directors have always worked in it. This is an honor and a responsibility. French and European classics are always present on his stage. The Comedie Francaise Theater can perhaps be compared with our Maly Theater - Ostrovsky's House. Such theaters always remain in the minds of compatriots exemplary, exemplary, keeping the best theatrical traditions of their culture.

On Rue de Richelieu is the National Theater Comédie Française - one of the oldest theaters in Paris and a favorite place for Russian tourists. Perhaps people from Russia love the Comedie Francaise so much because it is a repertory theater, and this is a tradition of the original Russian theater, which is quite difficult to constantly maintain, but at the same time much more interesting.

In the 17th century, France experienced a rapid surge in the development of dramaturgy, but the national French theater as a professional genre was in its infancy and was not completely formed. He was strongly influenced by both secular and clerical authorities, and all forms of art, one way or another, were subject to regulation. In addition, King Louis XIV of France was a famous theater lover, and often his patronage turned into excessive tight control. A vivid evidence of the struggle of real art with the imposed framework of "patronage" is the tragic life story of Moliere, who skillfully maneuvered between the ambitions of the troupe and the requirements of the king, while keeping his theater at a very high professional level.

After the death of Jean-Baptiste Molière in 1673, interest in the French theater began to fade. This was due, first of all, to the fact that the Molière troupe merged with the Marais theater troupe and constantly competed with the Burgundy Hotel theater. Their main task was to achieve the favor of the king. The life of these two theaters, filled with intrigues and trials, became less and less interesting for the audience.

In the summer of 1680, Louis XIV merged both companies by decree, leaving the best actors in the new national theater. The Théâtre des Comedians Française, as the Théâtre Comédie Française was originally called, now had a monopoly on shows in Paris.

In the nineties of the 18th century, as a result of the political struggle that arose within the theater, the troupe split into two camps: the republicans, who left the main staff and organized the so-called Theater of the Republic, and the royalists, who were listed in the troupe of the Comédie Francaise Theater, now renamed the Theater Nations. The actors of the Theater of the Nation, who participated in the production of reactionary drama, were eventually arrested and sentenced to the guillotine. However, they all soon received their freedom after Robespierre was overthrown. So, having united again in 1799, both parts of the troupe began to work in the theater with the same name. The "Moscow Decree" of Bonaparte, signed by him in 1812 during the anti-Russian campaign, confirmed the newly formed structure and status of the Comédie Française. This document emphasizes the great importance of theatrical art for the strengthening and formation of the French state.

The second, almost official, name of the theater is the "House of Molière", or, as it is otherwise called, the Theater of the Word. This fact clearly underlines the trends that the creative team follows, relying in their work on high dramaturgy, increased attention to speech and language, which are revered by the French as a true national treasure.
Therefore, if you want to join the real French culture, while getting great pleasure from the virtuosic game of professional actors, then the Comédie Francaise Theater will be the best platform for making these desires come true.

COMEDIE FRANCAISE (La Comédie Française)

The official name "Theater Français" (Théâtre Français) is the French national theater, one of the oldest theaters in Paris, the only repertory theater in France. Founded in 1680 by decree of Louis XIV, which united the Theater of Molière, previously merged with the theater of the Marais, and the Burgundy Hotel Theatre. Famous actors of the troupe at that time: M. Chanmelet, M. Baron, C. Lagrange, C. Rosimon, A. Bejart. The theater received royal subsidies, superintendents appointed by the king, who determined the repertoire, the composition of the troupe, etc., directed it.

"Comédie Française" was an acting partnership (société), income was divided into shares, members of the partnership, societers, were entitled to a whole share or part of it. The theater troupe also included boarders, actors who were invited to play individual roles.

This organizational structure of the theater practically did not change. Serious temporal changes were introduced only in revolutionary periods of history. The special position of the theater made it possible to attract the best actors of France to the troupe. Almost all the major French actors are in one way or another connected with the Comedie Francaise: M. Duclos, A. Lecouvreur, A. Lequin, M. Dumesnil, I. Cleron, Talma, J.B. Brizard, Mars, K. Duchenois, Georges, E. Rachel, S. Bernard, J. Mounet-Sully, K. Coquelin and others. This also applies to French playwrights. Among them, Zh.B. Molière, P. Corneille, J. Racine, J.F. Regnard, A.R. Lesage, P. Marivo, F. Voltaire, D. Diderot, P. Beaumarchais, V. Hugo, E. Scribe, A. Dumas- son, V. Sardu and others.

The Comedie Francaise theater experienced certain difficulties at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, when the time came for the formation of the director's theater, which also influenced the life of the main theater in France. A notable event was the invitation to the theater in the 1930s of directors Jacques Copeau, Louis Jouvet, Charles Dullin, Gaston Baty, who tried to move away from the archaic style and turn a troupe of stars into a creative ensemble. In the 1940s, Jean-Louis Barrot worked in the theater, staging "The Satin Slipper" by P. Claudel.

The radical reform of the theater is associated with the name of J. Meyer, a student of Jouvet, a graduate of the Paris Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, an educational institution under the auspices of the Comédie Francaise. He staged his first performances in 1944, and in 1946, after the departure of J.-L. Barro, he is appointed director of classical productions. Meyer worked in the theater for about 20 years, gradually introducing a new aesthetic, educating young actors in the theater on the basis of live stage practice. He was successful with the audience and critics, but the desire for unity of command in the creative leadership led to a conflict with societers, as a result of which he was forced to leave the theater. But the period of his leadership did not pass without a trace for the future theater.
Today "Comédie Française" is a theater that does not shy away from experiment. In the 1970s, plays by E. Ionesco and S. Beckett were staged here. The theater has gone even further. He began to invite foreign directors to the productions: R. Wilson (Lafontaine's Fables), A. Vasiliev (Masquerade, 1992, Amphitrion, 2002), P. Fomenko (Forest, 2003). The performances created by these directors were marked by the recognizable directorial style of each of them and the acting performance that distinguishes the world-famous Comedie Francaise school.
At present, the Comédie Francaise retains its organizational structure. It is run by a General Manager (now Muriel Mayette) who is supervised by the Societeers (there are now 40 of them. In addition, there are 20 boarders. Each boarder would like to become a societer, but the decision on the status of an actor is made at the annual meeting of societers. This must not be voted on less than 21 societers.
In our country, the theater toured in 1954 (Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev), 1969 (Moscow, Leningrad, Riga), 1973 (Moscow, Leningrad, Vilnius), 1985 (Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev). In 2005, the play "Comedy Francaise" "Forest" by A. Ostrovsky directed by P.N. Fomenko was shown at the Sixth International Theater Festival. A.P. Chekhov.

In 2010, "Comédie Française" presented at the Fifth International Theater Festival "Alexandrinsky" the performance of Beaumarchais directed by director Christophe Roque. (17 and 18 October 2010).

A vivid theatrical experiment can be called the production of the "Quartet" by H. Muller, which was presented at the Alexandrinsky Festival in 2007 with the participation of "Comedy Francaise". The performance was played by actress Muriel Mayet, general director of Comedy Francaise.

In 1981, the famous director of experimental performances and playwright Heiner Müller wrote a play based on the novel Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos. Müller placed the exemplary heroes of the "gallant age" in the absurd space of "a bunker after World War III" and "a saloon before the French Revolution", and pitted them against each other in a brutal "death duel". Valmont and Marquise Merteuil from seducers and intriguers turned into the last people in the world by the will of the playwright, they became fragments of culture. 25 years later, Müller's compatriot, director Matthias Langhoff, staged the Quartet with actors from France's main theater, the Comédie Francaise: Francois Chatto and Muriel Mayette, who had just become director of the Comédie Francaise.

The uniqueness of the play by Matthias Langhoff is that both the actors, the director and even the author of the play turned out to be “like-minded”, they speak the same language - the language of the stage, combining absurdity and tragedy, the “gallant age” and dystopia.

Matthias Langhoff and Heiner Müller worked together for some time at the Berliner Ensemble Theatre, and their fate is largely similar: living in the GDR, in their homeland, they were never able to realize their talents. Langhoff puts on performances all over Europe: in Paris, Rouen, Rome, Madrid, and everywhere he brings his unique style and penchant for experimentation. The combination of incompatible, absurdity and hyperrealism, beauty and dirt - these are Langhoff's favorite tricks. Langhoff names Meyerhold and Stanislavsky as his teachers (this is especially flattering for the Russian audience), whom he calls only "the greatest masters in the world."

Previously, Langhoff had already staged another play by H. Muller - "The Mission" - at the theater de la Ville. Both Muriel Mayette and Francois Chatto have already worked with Langhoff: Mayette played in his "Dance of Death" by Strindberg and "Leonce and Lena" by G. Buchner; Shatto - in the "Prince of Homburg" according to the same G. Buchner and "Macbeth". The combination of Langhoff's style of directing and the acting of the famous French school is unique in itself, the combination of the German avant-garde and centuries-old French acting is doubly unique. "The Quartet" is compared simultaneously with "Miss Julie" by A. Strindberg and "Waiting for Godot" by S. Beckett, the play combines the passion and sensuality of the characters and the absurdity of the "proposed circumstances".

Over time, the Langhoff-Maiette-Chatteau tandem has already formed, the director and actors understand each other perfectly, and this is felt on stage - critics note that the combination of "actors of the highest standard" and "experimental director" is incredibly harmonious, and their joint work has caused very noisy success.

Comedie Francaise