Programme the doctor in spite of himself by Exchange Theatre

Exchange Theatre The Exchange

«Towards the reunion of the world» Paul Claudel

“A theatre based on diversity, going beyond border”

Exchange Theatre (or Echange Theatre), is an international company established in 2006 in London in order to translate and produce unknown or rare French-speaking plays in English. With the use of a strong visual imagery, live music and multilingualism , Exchange Theatre's productions offer a true sensorial experience. Led by David Furlong and Fanny Dulin, the company translated for the first time plays from major French playwrights like Paul Claudel, Georges Feydeau and Xavier Durringer (London and off Broadway, 2006 to 2010) before being resident company at the French Institute for two Young audience seasons (2011 to 2013). Since then, we produce ambitious double productions off west end (the shows are both shown in English and French: Un air de famille, Molière). Bearing the singular heritage of a popular theatre from the Theatre National Populaire, the company embodies this vision and beyond the mere discovery, the aim is to make those plays accessible to a 21st century audience. Strong of a portfolio of over 30 productions, Exchange is followed by a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and diverse audience. Beside the professional company, Exchange Theatre created the first amateur drama class in French for French speaking people living in London and gives language workshops and educational work through drama for adults and children. The company works from its studio space, The TRAP, in London Bridge (available for hire) at the heart of London. Every year, the Bastille Festival takes place in June and July where professional and amateurs share its programmation. 2016 is the 9th edition of the BASTILLE FESTIVAL

www.exchangetheatre.com

Anita Adam Gabay Anita is making her 1 Lucinde

English professional debuts. She studied at the European school of Culham. Her drama training at LAMDA enhanced her artistic childhood, around theatre but also dancing, singing, flute playing and her CHAM training. After her French theatre experience as a child (le Cadavre Vivant and La Perichose directed by Julie Brochen and Tonight We Improvise by Gilberte Tsai), Anita is delighted to share through the two languages and with this great team the transmission of Moliere’s spirit. 2 Sganarelle/Mise en scène David Furlong Born in Mauritius, David is the artistic director of Exchange Theatre. In France, he was part of a rep company (Moliere, Hugo, Marivaux, Musset, Feydeau) before entering the school of the National Theatre of Chaillot, He worked with international directors (Hans Peter Cloos, Deborah Warner, Michel Lopez and Jose Pliya: Tatowierung by Dea Loher, Monserrat in Monserrat, Camille in A Flea in His Ear, Peter in Mourning becomes Electra. In London, he was Phagulal in Red Oleander (CPT), Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Faction), The Rover (Ed Fringe), The Engineer of Chelm (Jewish Museum) and Garcin in Huis Clos. For Exchange Theatre, he translated and directed The Exchange by Claudel, The Flies by Sartre, Bal Trap by Durrin-

Phagulal in Red Oleander (CPT), Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Faction), The Rover (Ed Fringe), The Engineer of Chelm (Jewish Museum) and Garcin in Huis Clos. For Exchange Theatre, he translated and directed The Exchange by Claudel, The Flies by Sartre, Bal Trap by Durringer. He also played Lucien in Feydeau’s Madame Late’s Mother, Orestes in Sartre’s the Flies, Philipe in A Family Affair and Creon in Antigone. He wrote Business and Square(d) and 12 interactive and bilingual family shows for the French Institute residency. In parallel, he still tours France regularly with street-theatre company Gérard Gérard, and recently worked in Mauritius, Lyon and Paris with playwright Christophe Botti. He has worked with Joe HillGibbins on the Changelling at the Young Vic

3 Martine

Jacqueline Berces

Born in France, from an American father and French mother, Jacqueline started performing at as a ballet dancer and mandolin player. She completed her Master's in Performing Arts at the University of Paris-Sorbonne Nouvelle while training as an actress at the Studio Alain de Bock and Acting International (Paris) and went to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. She sang at the American Cathedral in Paris as a soloist for tributes concerts (Alan Jay Lerner, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hammerstein). She has performed in a wide variety of plays and musicals in Paris, while shooting with directors Christophe Averlan, Gonzague Legout, Christian Lara and having been seen on French Television (TF1) After touring with Zorro, a musical that ran at Le Théâtre des Variétés in Paris for 3 seasons, she decided to move to London. She is now thrilled to be part of the project “The Doctor in Spite of Himself” in which she gets to perform in both her native languages.maternelles avec Exchange Theatre

she decided to move to London. She is now thrilled to be part of the project “The Doctor in Spite of Himself” in which she gets to perform in both her native languages. 4 Jacqueline

Fanny Dulin

Fanny trained at the Bridge Theatre Training Company in London. She played Christine in Miss Julie, Pilate in The Mystery Plays, and Hippolyta in A Midsummer night’s dreams and was seen on screen Sweeney Todd by Tim Burton. For Exchange Theatre she produced and performed Marthe in The Exchange (Paul Claudel), Bubble in Bal Trap (Durringer), Adelaide in a House Bath, Yvonne in a Madame’s Late Mother (Feydeau) and Clytemnestra in the Flies (Sartre). She regularly works at the French Institute where she created their monthly French tales and the season of kid shows “Au theatre, this Sunday”. Recently, she took the part of the nourrice in Anouilh’s Antigone, Cecile in Post It and Ismene in Et Toi Ismene, directed by Nathalie Adam for Chemistry Theatre. She is

“Au théâtre, this Sunday”. Recently, she took the part of the nourrice in Anouilh’s Antigone, Cecile in Post It and Ismene in Et Toi Ismene, directed by Nathalie Adam for Chemistry Theatre. She is delighted to be back at the Drayton Arms where she played Yolande in both English and French productions of A Family Affair. 5 Valère/Léandre

Leo Elso

Leo graduated from MTA London. Whilst training he had the opportunity to create the lead part of David for the world premiere of Dougal Irvine's In Touch. His credits include Playing Tom Springfield in DUSTY (Charing Cross theatre), two European tours with Vienna's English Theatre, Alice In Wonderland and Alice Through The looking Glass (Iris Theatre at St. Paul's, Covent Garden) and the concert West End Heroes (Dominion Theatre). He appeared the workshop of a new musical by Bateman & Conley, The Sorrows of Satan. His first commissioned musical as a composer, "Virtual Heroes", has toured

(Dominion Theatre). His first commissioned musical as a composer, "Virtual Heroes", has toured to great acclaim in Germany, Austria and Italy and his second, "Undercover Star", has just finished touring. As a musician, Leo has played around the globe, from New York to Bali, and in such venues like The Hammersmith Apollo and The London Palladium. He also was a finalist in the Xmas Factor Christmas Song Competition 2013. He composed and choreographed "Dracula, Unclotted" currenlty touring Europe after a run at the Avignon Festival. He is currently recording his first album as a solo artist, Honni Soit Qui Mal Y Pense 6 Lucas Matt Mella Matt trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama on the Ba Acting. He was born in France to English and French parents and is very excited to be able to act in both languages in this production. His credits include: - Ensemble in The Wall workshop with Complicite and Simon McBurney, Leandro in In The Dead of Night at the Landor Theatre, Zach Cooper in Goosebumps (French voice) and Ralph Dover in Prisoners (French Voice). Cooper dans Goosebump et Ralph Dover dans Prisoners. B

and Ralph Dover in Prisoners (French Voice).

Yanouchka Wenger Sabbatini Actress 7 Geronte

and director, Yanouchka trained at Cours Florent in Paris before specialising in Shakespearian theatre with Andrew Visnevski at RADA. She worked in France, Switzerland and UK with major directors such as Andre Steiger, with whom she specialised in Brecht, and former Comedie de Geneve director Richard Vachoux, whom she assisted for over 10 years. She directs rare pieces, like Images d’enfance en Mille Morceaux, patchwork of rare texts by Ionesco and Don Juan’s last night by Rostand, which had a very successful run at the théâtre l’Alchimic of Geneva. Now living in London, she works on the physical relation between the actor and the words, which also led her to graduate as a yoga teacher.

Playwright Molière JeanBaptiste Poquelin, dit Molière, was born in Paris in 1622. Still the most performed French playwright to this day, Molière distinguished himself by writing plays used laughter as weapon to fight the flaws of his time. The son of a rich tapestry maker, he renounces the family business and chooses theatre. He starts « l’Illustre Théâtre » in 1643 and the

company travels in the provinces from 1646 à 1658. During these tough beginnings, he learns his acting craft and starts writing his first comedies (L’Étourdi, Le Dépit Amoureux...). In 1658, he performs le Docteur Amoureux for King Louis XIV and earns his protection. The King gives the company a home: Le Théâtre du Petit-Bourbon. Molière writes les Précieuses ridicules, his first great success. Then, Molière writes halffarces half-critics of his society, but keeps the King’s protection. L’Ecole des femmes,Tartuffe (which got banned for 5 years) and Dom Juan, considered pretentious plays at their time, make him now the greatest artist of this period. In 1665, the company is renamed « la Troupe du Roy ». Molière becomes very ill in 1666. Severely weakened, he manages to write The Doctor in Spite of Himself. After Amphitryon and The Miser, Molière writes his last play: The Hypocondriac. During its fourth showing, he collapses on stage and dies a few hours later in 1673. Molière’s company will go on to found the ComédieFrançaise after his death, still standing today as a National Theatre in the same walls

Set designer Annick Bosson Freshly arrived from Switzerland where she was a Floral and Interior designer for 17 years, Annick is passionate about creative projects. Fashion Jewelleries and decorative objects maker, she made her first step in theatre design by taking scenic painting courses at the DAP Studio in London. The Doctor marks her first professional debut in set design. Lighting designer and technician Camille Bortz Camille grew up in London where she studied lighting at university. She has since worked as a lighting designer and operator in Melbourne and London. This is the 2nd she is working with Exchange Theatre and has recently started adding sound operation to her experience. Set construction Will Wyld Original set design Cleo

Harris-Seaton

Director’s Note

The Doctor in spite of himself is here in the UK, one of the least produced of Molière's plays, when comparing to The Misanthrope, Tartuffe. Sganarelle makes life a living hell for his wife. He spends all their money in books and drinks to the point of beating her up. To avenge herself, she makes believe her husband is a doctor but who would only work after being beaten up. And against all odds, this doctor, in spite of himself, performs miracles. Le Medecin Malgre Lui was Molière's return to farces and one of his most successful plays after trying for several years to be recognised for more serious and deep plays. Prior to these, Molière, the leader of a travelling company that he took on the roads for ten years, sees himself as a popular entertainer, a village buffoon. Back in Paris, crowned by a national popularity, he was welcome at the court and triumphed again with his trestles comedies. Transported by such a success, he started thinking of himself as a proper playwright and dared tackle some more mature and critical comedies with more dense reflexions. He was then submitted to a very harsh criticism and censorship from false critics, false devout, all the pretenders he hated so much. Actor, director, satirist at the top of his art, but also weakened by a poor health, Molière wrote -in spite of himself- The Doctor, a farce, in order to regain success. He projected in the main character of Sganarelle – who is forced to lie to the world I order to regain credit – his own deception of not being able to be taken seriously by his more accomplished works. When his previous plays, almost philosophical, dealt with existentialist matters, Molière did not hesitate here to fall back into a great triviality. And the play was a absolute triumph. Moliere added a marvellous derisive take to the heritage of Italian Commedia Dell'Arte and defined French farces. Misunderstandings, comedy, wits, prank, mockery: the play's success goes beyond any other and offers Moliere an opportunity to even mock his own audience, whilst reflecting on his own creation. Unknowingly, he also defines the heritage of French comedies that would follow and will be studied for centuries in French classrooms, where mostly all the parts about scatology and sex will be kept silent... Molière said himself « comedies are only made to be performed. » Our production of The Doctor In spite of Himself not only offers a British audience the chance to see this rare classic comedy but also the opportunity to have a very contemporary and slightly chaotic look at the ‘upstarts’ from all time and at the mind of a genius, in a very true but contemporary version. With one main directing choice: seek Molière’s mischief between the lines, look for the insolence beyond the text. My direction is also fed by the experience and the creativity of each actor, invited to fully explore their characters: as they are confronted to universal situations of love and adultery, as well as some themes that have to be revisited with a modern eye: such as gratuitous violence or forced marriage. This collaboration leads to original devised scenes, unknown to Molière himself and humbly completing his heritage. Our research and development work on a Molière produced in Shakespeare's land suddenly took us on a journey we didn't expect during our rehearsals. It was almost logical that The Bard's influence and his supernatural elements (just like in the Tempest or A Midsummer Night's Dream) would blead through and organically become an integral part of our work. As a result, this production is the fruit of many months of work with the laughing comedic energy from Molière combined with the magic of Shakespeare. What a great exchange! He finally led all of us in the company to find the true meaning of the play, which you can watch as an invitation to love and laugh. We're looking forward to sharing it with you. David Furlong, Juin 2016 The show was originally performed at the Lycee Francais in May 2015, with the support of the Young Vic building workshops.

Exchange Theatre would like to thank: Margaux Rousse, Zohra Chachou and Ulysse Beauvois Alex Kanefsky at Paper Balloon Lucie Leclaire Polina Belehhova www.polinapho.com

Marine Vincent at Make Me Feel Parapharmacie (25 Abbeville Road, SW4 9LA)

www.makemefeel.co.uk

Alexandra Bergeron, Rachel Gemaehling, Victor Klein Caroline Roussel and Lula Suassuna Marcus Montgomery Roche Petra Freimund, Ruthie Osterman and John-Michael MacDonald Jacques Dulin and Nathalie Adam

In partnership with