Theatre
Monsieur Bob'le
Not translated into English
Georges Schehadé · 1951
Synopsis
In Paola Scala, the small town where he has chosen to live, Monsieur Bob'le exerts an extraordinary influence on all who come near him. His words remain vague and his advice uncertain, neither profound nor original, but always sincere, and the inhabitants, by turns ridiculous, odd or endearing, place an almost miraculous trust in him; he is almost taken for a saint, though he preaches no faith. Then he leaves the town, suddenly.
Context
The play was premiered on 30 January 1951 at the Théâtre de la Huchette in Paris, in a production directed by Georges Vitaly; the record of this production is held in the Vitaly collection of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Gallimard published the three acts the same year and reissued them in 1992. It is its author's first play, and it opens a body of theatre that combines the absurd, the fable and humour; its publisher presents it as a marvellous and poetic story.
Who it is for
A short play, written in French, in which poetry matters more than plot; no English translation has been published.
Prizes and reception
The starting point of a dramatic body of work that includes five other plays, from 1954 to 1965.
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