Moliere play to be staged in French and English

A production of Molière’s classic comedy, The Misanthrope – performed in English and French – is coming to London’s Drayton Arms Theatre.

The Anglo-French collaboration will run at the Kensington theatre from June 13 to July 8, with nearly half the performances in French and the rest in English.

It is being produced by Exchange Theatre, an international company established in 2006 in London to translate and produce unknown or rare French-speaking plays in English.

It will be part of the annual Bastille Festival organised by the company and the Drayton Arms Theatre as a celebration of French theatre, running from June 13 to July 16 this year.

Misanthrope is being directed by David Furlong, who leads Exchange Theatre with Fanny Dulin. He directed last year’s production of Molière’s Le Médecin Malgré Lui, The Doctor In Spite of Himself, at the Drayton Arms, which earned him a nomination for best director in the Off West End Awards.

David said: “After last year’s recognition from our peers, the press and the audience, and following the conversation we started in a post-Brexit UK, it seems that we have found our place as ‘outsiders’. “Ten years after our first steps into translations of rare French-speaking plays, we are so proud to produce bold double productions in two languages and hold an annual festival for migrants and multi-lingual theatre-makers. “And it’s only logical that we will carry on exploring our unique language of diversity and the variety of processes that make ours as a company. We’re thrilled to follow last year’s success with another passionate effort at making theatre for our time.”

In a time of “alternative facts” and “fake news”, Misanthrope finds unanticipated echoes in the world today. Alceste, the most loyal man in the world, lacks only one virtue: indulgence for others’ behaviours. Exchange Theatre believe that his search for genuineness against hypocrisy, special interests and treachery calls for a new London production of the 17th-century play in 2017.

Misanthrope will be performed in English June 13th – 17th, 26th – 29th and July 7th and 8th and in French June 20th – 24th, 30th and July 1st and 4th – 6th. It will have a 90-minute running time.

BOOK TICKETS FOR THE MISANTHROPE AT DRAYTON ARMS