Chatsky & Miser! Miser! Two Plays by Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess was an energetic writer and composer, whose work
, we see him tackling
by
by Alexander Griboyedov.

Miser, Miser!is a bold reworking of Molire's classic comedy of
1668. Harpagon the miser is hoarding a pile of gold, which he has
buried in his garden. As he tries to sell off his daughter, catch himself
a beautiful young bride and outwit his scheming household of clever
servants, the comedy of errors intensifies.

Although the original French play is written in prose, Burgess
remakes it in a mixture of verse and prose, in the style of his famous
. This translation, discovered in the
author's archive, is the work of a writer at the height of his powers,
reinventing Molire for modern audiences.

Chatsky, subtitled 'The Importance of Being Stupid' is another verse
comedy. The theme is that of the intellectual hero who rebels
against the smug, philistine society in which he finds himself. First
performed in 1833, Griboyedov's play was so heavily cut by Russian
censors that it was barely recognisable. The play is a virtuoso vehicle
for male actors, and the source of many famous quotations. It is
, Burgess remakes a
classic Russian play in the spirit of Oscar Wilde. It is a great feast of
language and invective.

The complete texts of both plays are published here for the first time.
confirms Anthony Burgess's reputation as a gifted writer
for the stage, and as a translator of great wit and sophistication.

MISER, MISER! CASTING: 7 men, 3 women
CHATSKY CASTING: 9 men, 7 women