Year 12: IB Theatre - Research Presentation
French Farce
Photograph from the 2017 production of Bang Bang at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester.
Day, R., Pyne. (2017). REVIEW: Cleese's French Farce is without fault but has plenty of Fawlty in it. [Photograph]. Colchester Gazette. https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/15127020.review-cleeses-french-farce-is-without-fault-but-has-plenty-of-fawlty-in-it/
Other Online Resources
- JSTOR: Moliere and FarceThis is Gustave Lanson's essay "Moliere et la farce," which first appeared in the Revue de Paris in May, 1901. Lanson also helps us to distinguish farce from the comic tradition generally, and particularly from the tradition of Roman comedy. Moliere was most decisively influenced, not by literature in the tradition of Rome, but by theatre in the tradition of France.
- Medium: French Farce and Commedia Dell’arteExploring the roots of DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER’s farcical hijinks in Italian comedy
- Lovers and Liars: A Dramaturg’s PerspectiveA blog created by the University of University of York's department of Theatre, Film and Television to "document our process as we tackle the challenge of staging two 18th century farces on one night for a 21st Century audience".This 'blog' contains reflections from actors, directors and designers on the conventions, considerations and challenges in staging two plays.
This website was created by the University's theatre department to "document our process as we tackle the challenge of staging two 18th century farces on one night for a 21st Century audience". Browse their 'research' for information on the origins of Farce, 18th Century Theatre and social etiquette. Their 'blog' contains reflections from actors, directors and designers on the conventions, considerations and challenges in the plays, "Miss in Her Teens" and "The Lying Valet". Note that these two plays are from the British playwright, actor and theatre director David Garrick (where much of his writing was inspired by or based on French farces).
Video: Performance Demonstration
Nichols, M. (1996). The Birdcage [Film]. Metro Goldwyn Meyer. https://clickv.ie/w/Nc8r
Metro Goldwyn Mayer. (2021, June 30). La Cage Aux Folles (1979) vs. The Birdcage (1996) | Original vs. Remake | MGM Studios [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uoH2Y0KsCU
NSW State Library
- Book: French Farce & John Heywood, by John MaxwellThis is an original item for use in the Library. (You will need a Library card).