The Bald Soprano
|
|
The Bald Soprano (French:La Cantatrice Chauve) was the first play written by Eugène Ionesco. Nicolas Bataille directed the premiere on May 11 1950 at the Théâtre des Noctambules. Since 1957 it has been in permanent showing at the Théâtre de la Huchette, which received a Molière d'honneur for its performances. With a record number of interpretations, it has become one of the most performed plays in France.
Origin
The idea of the play came to Ionesco while he was trying to learn English with the Assimil method. He was impressed by the contents of the dialogues, often very sober and strange, so he decided to write an absurd play named L'anglais sans peine ("English without pain"). The current title was set only after a verbal slip-up made by one of the actors during the repetitions.
Contents
It's almost impossible to summarize the play as the absurd is omnipresent. Nevertheless, it is possible to draw out a semblance of a story. The Smiths, a traditional family from London welcome the Martins. The captain of the fire brigade pays them a visit and recognizes Mary, their maid, as an old friend. But this summary doesn't describe at all the mood of the play and no real plot is present.