Molière's sparkling comedy comes to life in this adaptation by Martin Crimp. Presented by State Theatre Company of SA.

Director: Catherine Fitzgerald

Set and Costume Designer: Julie Lynch

Lighting Designer: David Gadsden

Composer: Catherine Oates

Cast: Eileen Darley, Patrick Graham, Jude Henshall, Caroline Mignone, Renato Musolino

Molière's sparkling comedy The Misanthrope comes to life in this adaptation by Martin Crimp, writer of our 2008 production Attempts On Her Life.

Alceste is a famous playwright disillusioned and angry with the hypocrisy, vanity and choking shallowness of the modern 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.

Martin Crimp whisks Molière's 17th century comic masterpiece from the court of Louis XIV straight into the heart of the contemporary London media scene to explore the conflict between integrity and success. Losing none of the biting flavour of the original, this version is fast, witty and delves deeply into the absurdities of social conventions and pretensions.

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

WARNING Contains strong language.

Please note that The Misanthrope will be performed at Her Majesty's Theatre due to a Disability Access upgrade at the Adelaide Festival Centre.

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