{"product_id":"chatsky-miser-miser-two-plays-by-anthony-burgess-9781914228889","title":"Chatsky \u0026 Miser, Miser! Two Plays by Anthony Burgess","description":"\u003cp\u003eAnthony Burgess was an energetic writer and composer, whose work\u003cbr\u003e for the stage is widely admired. In \u003cem\u003eTwo Plays\u003c\/em\u003e, we see him tackling\u003cbr\u003e major monuments of French and Russian theatre: \u003cem\u003e The Miser\u003c\/em\u003e by\u003cbr\u003e Molière and \u003cem\u003eChatsky\u003c\/em\u003e by Alexander Griboyedov.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMiser, Miser!\u003c\/em\u003e is a bold reworking of Molière's classic comedy of\u003cbr\u003e 1668. Harpagon the miser is hoarding a pile of gold, which he has\u003cbr\u003e buried in his garden. As he tries to sell off his daughter, catch himself\u003cbr\u003e a beautiful young bride and outwit his scheming household of clever\u003cbr\u003e servants, the comedy of errors intensifies.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough the original French play is written in prose, Burgess\u003cbr\u003e remakes it in a mixture of verse and prose, in the style of his famous\u003cbr\u003e adaptation of \u003cem\u003eCyrano de Bergerac\u003c\/em\u003e. This translation, discovered in the\u003cbr\u003e author's archive, is the work of a writer at the height of his powers, \u003cbr\u003e reinventing Molière for modern audiences.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChatsky\u003c\/em\u003e, subtitled 'The Importance of Being Stupid' is another verse\u003cbr\u003e comedy. The theme is that of the intellectual hero who rebels\u003cbr\u003e against the smug, philistine society in which he finds himself. First\u003cbr\u003e performed in 1833, Griboyedov's play was so heavily cut by Russian\u003cbr\u003e censors that it was barely recognisable. The play is a virtuoso vehicle\u003cbr\u003e for male actors, and the source of many famous quotations. It is\u003cbr\u003e also notoriously difficult to translate. In \u003cem\u003eChatsky\u003c\/em\u003e, Burgess remakes a\u003cbr\u003e classic Russian play in the spirit of Oscar Wilde. It is a great feast of\u003cbr\u003e language and invective.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe complete texts of both plays are published here for the first time.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eTwo Plays\u003c\/em\u003e confirms Anthony Burgess's reputation as a gifted writer\u003cbr\u003e for the stage, and as a translator of great wit and sophistication.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e MISER, MISER! CASTING: 7 men, 3 women\u003cbr\u003e CHATSKY CASTING: 9 men, 7 women\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnthony Burgess was born in Manchester in 1917 and educated at Xaverian College and Manchester University. He spent six years in the British Army before becoming an education officer in Malaya and Brunei. After the success of his \u003cem\u003eMalayan Trilogy\u003c\/em\u003e, he became a full-time writer in 1959. He achieved a worldwide reputation as one of the leading novelists of his day, and one of the most versatile. In addition to 33 novels, he wrote stage plays, criticism, translations, two volumes of autobiography and a Broadway musical. He composed more than 250 musical works, including a piano concerto and a violin concerto for Yehudi Menuhin. His books include \u003cem\u003eThe Complete Enderby\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNapoleon Symphony\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEarthly Powers\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eA Clockwork Orange\u003c\/em\u003e. Burgess died in London in 1993, a few months after the first production of \u003cem\u003eChatsky\u003c\/em\u003e at the Almeida Theatre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Salamander Street Ltd.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50394329678098,"sku":"9781914228889","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_2da2c112-9431-4f85-9fb6-d1e4a8b27442.jpg?v=1729002234","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/chatsky-miser-miser-two-plays-by-anthony-burgess-9781914228889","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}