Les Fourberies de Scapin

Théâtre français de Toronto, in collaboration with Alliance Française de Toronto, is proud to present Les Fourberies de Scapin, Molière‘s classic play directed by Emmanuel Besnault and produced by La Compagnie L’Éternel Été and Lucernaire Diffusion. This whirlwind production hailing from France runs from May 30 to June 1, 2024 at the Berkeley Street Theatre, in the Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre (formerly known as the Downstairs). Only 3 General Audiences performances are scheduled in parallel with the school matinees!

Les Fourberies de Scapin is, of course, one of Molière\’s best-known comedies! It’s the scene of the sack, the galley! It’s a brilliantly orchestrated scheme by Scapin, undoubtedly the most famous, cunning and debonair valet in the French comedy repertoire. Les Fourberies de Scapin also features the classic theme of thwarted love, as Octave and Léandre, two young men in love, defy parental authority to marry the women they love.

Performed by a dynamic troupe of five actors (Emmanuel Besnault, Victor Duez, Benoit Gruel, Manuel Le Velly and Chloé Zufferey), the play promises to be a lively spectacle, combining music, song and exuberant stage acting – the hallmarks of tréteau theatre.

Emmanuel Besnault’s staging not only revisits a classic, but transforms it into a feast of youth and wit, with a physical and rhythmic commitment that has already won over the critics: according to the New York Times, the play is “a bright example” of the current dynamism of young French troupes, while Le Parisien underlines the \”explosive and hilarious” nature of the staging.