Molière’s sparkling comedy comes to life in this adaptation by Martin Crimp, writer of our 2008 production Attempts on her Life.

First performed in 1996, Crimp’s adaptation sees the 17th-century court setting become hip, contemporary London. In a 2009 production, Keira Knightly made her West End debut as the female lead.

“I can’t wait to get my teeth stuck into Martin Crimp’s razor sharp, biting contemporary version of Moliere’s comedy of manners, which exposes the sycophantic shallow nature of the ‘celebrity machine’” says Director Catherine Fitzgerald.

“It is stylish, hysterical - a toxic mix of truth with a satisfying sting in its tale (pun intended)!”

In The Misantrhope, Alceste is a famous playwright disillusioned and angry with the hypocrisy, vanity and choking shallowness of the contemporary world. Vowing to reject society and to tell it like it is, his plans are derailed when he falls madly in love with Jennifer. An ambitious American film star and darling of the social scene, she may prove to be his biggest challenge yet.

Losing none of the biting flavour of the original, this version is fast and witty and delves deeply into the absurdities of social conventions and pretensions.

A stinging, zinging play about the perils of telling the truth in a world addicted to surfaces. The critical knives are unsheathed and quivering!

This show will also have a Red Carpet event on 25 February following that night’s performance.

DIRECTOR Catherine Fitzgerald DESIGNER Julie Lynch
LIGHTING DESIGNER David Gadsden COMPOSER Catherine Oates
CAST INCLUDES Marco Chiappi, Eileen Darley, Nic English, Patrick Graham, Jude Henshall, Caroline Mignone, Renato Musolino, Brendan Rock, Robert Tompkins

The Misanthrope will play at Adelaide's Her Majesty's Theatre from 18 February to 13 March 2011.