A Flea in Her Ear
Encyclopedia
A Flea in Her Ear is a play by Georges Feydeau
written in 1907, at the height of the Belle Époque
.
. Raymonde Chandebise, after years of wedded bliss, begins to doubt the fidelity of her husband, Victor Emmanuel, who has suddenly become sexually inactive. Raymonde is unaware that his behavior is due to a nervous condition. She confides her doubts to her old friend Lucienne, who suggests a trick to test him. They write him a letter, in Lucienne’s handwriting, from a fictitious and anonymous admirer, requesting a rendezvous at the Hotel Coq d’Or, an establishment with a dubious reputation, but a large and prominent clientele. Raymonde intends to confront her husband there, and she and Lucienne leave to do so.
When Victor Emmanuel receives the letter, however, he has no interest in such an affair and believes the invitation from the mysterious woman was meant for his best friend Tournel, a handsome bachelor. Unknown to Victor Emmanuel, Tournel has his eye on Raymonde and eagerly exits to make the appointment.
Camille, the young nephew of Victor Emmanuel, is overjoyed to have his speech impediment corrected by a new silver palate from Dr. Finache. In celebration, he and the household cook, Antoinette, also hurry to the Hotel Coq d’Or, followed by Etienne, Antoinette's jealous husband. Dr. Finache decides to go to the hotel in search of his own afternoon rendezvous.
Victor Emmanuel shows the letter to Lucienne’s husband, Carlos Homenides de Histangua, a passionate and violent Spaniard. Carlos recognizes Lucienne’s handwriting and assumes that she is trying to start an affair with Victor Emmanuel. He runs off to the hotel, vowing to kill her. Victor Emmanuel, hoping to prevent the threatened murder, hurries off in pursuit.
The various characters arrive in search of their goals: Finache for fun; Raymonde for Victor Emmanuel; Tournel for Raymonde; Camille with Antoinette, followed by Etienne; Carlos for Lucienne; and Victor Emmanuel to stop Carlos.
Carlos, attempting to kill his wife, shoots at anything that moves. Victor Emmanuel sees Raymonde talking with Tournel and believes she is unfaithful. Victor Emmanuel is believed to be insane when Poche, an alcoholic porter at the hotel who is a dead ringer for Victor Emmanuel, is mistaken for him. Camille loses his palate, and Tournel tries very hard to seduce Raymonde.
The confusion persists even after all are reunited again at Victor Emmanuel’s house. Things begin to clear up when Carlos discovers a rough copy of the letter written by Lucienne on Raymonde’s desk, this one in Raymonde’s handwriting. The owner of the hotel comes by to return an article left behind by a member of the household and clears up the confusion between his porter and Victor Emmanuel. Finally, Raymonde tells Victor Emmanuel the cause of her suspicions, and he assures her that he will put an end to her doubts—tonight.
Raymonde Chandebise believes her husband Victor Emmanuel is cheating when she, in fact, is having an affair with Romain Tournel. Her best friend is Lucienne.
Camille is the nephew to Victor Emmanuel. His speech impediment (being unable to pronounce consonants) leads people to lose their patience with him. He receives a silver palate to correct his impediment from Dr. Finache but promptly loses it at the Hotel.
Lucienne Homenides De Histangua is the best friend of Raymonde and the wife of Carlos. She introduces Raymonde to the plot to incriminate her husband.
Don Carlos Homenides De Histangua is a client of Victor Emmanuel and an extremely jealous husband. He carries guns regularly and is not afraid to use them.
Romain Tournel is the best friend and business partner of Victor Emmanuel and the lover of Raymonde. Chandebise sends him to the Hotel Coq d'Or, where he is delighted to find Raymonde.
Dr. Finache is the doctor for the Life Insurance Co. that Chandebise and Tournel work for. He is a personal friend of Victor Emmanuel and his nephew Camille and helps them with their issues. He is a frequent patron of the Hotel Coq d'Or.
Etienne is the nosy butler of Victor Emmanuel, married to Antionette.
Ferallion is the militarous proprietor of the Hotel Coq d'Or, the nephew of Baptistin, and the husband of Olympe.
Olympe is an ex-prostitute and the wife of Feraillon.
Antionette is the cook in the Chandebise home, married to Etienne but having an affair with Camille.
Eugenie is a maid in the hotel, may or may not be fooling around with Poche.
Baptistin is Feraillon's drunken uncle whom he employs.
Rugby is randy British guest at the hotel who speaks little or no French. He attempts to seduce Lucienne and Antionette. In translated versions, this character is often replaced with different names and ethnicities (such as a German man named "Herr Schwartz" in the 1967 English-language BBC production).
broadcast a production of the play on 7 June 1967. It marked the television debut of Anthony Hopkins
, playing Étienne Plucheux. The same year, the RAI -TV of Italy
gave a live broadcast from the Teatro Stabile of Genoa
, directed by Luigi Squarzina, starring Olga Villi and Alberto Lionello
.
feature film
directed by Jacques Charon (who had also directed Mortimer's 1966 translation for the stage). The cast included Rex Harrison
, Rosemary Harris
, Louis Jourdan, and Rachel Roberts.
translated the play for the National Theatre, opening at the Old Vic
in 1966. It was directed by Jacques Charon
and starred Albert Finney
and Geraldine McEwan
. This translation was revived at the same theatre from 4 December 2010 to 5 March 2011, directed by Richard Eyre
and starring Tom Hollander
and Lisa Dillon
http://www.oldvictheatre.com/whatson.php?id=69.
An English language translation by Barnett Shaw had a brief Broadway run at the ANTA Playhouse
in 1969. It was directed by Gower Champion
and starred Robert Gerringer
and Ruth Kobart
.
An adaptation by Jean-Marie Besset and Mark O'Donnell was staged by the Roundabout Theatre Company
in New York City in 1998. Directed by Bill Irwin
, it opened on 5 March and ran for 77 performances. The cast included Mark Linn-Baker
, Alice Playten
, and Richard B. Shull
.
An adaptation by David Ives was performed by the Constellation Theatre Company at the Source Theater in Washington, DC from 8 October to 8 November 2009.
Directed by Ljubisa Ristic premiere was on 07 June 1971 with more than 1300 as of performances as of Mar 2011.
Cast:
Georges Feydeau
Georges Feydeau was a French playwright of the era known as the Belle Époque. He is remembered for his many lively farces.-Biography:Georges Feydeau was born in Paris, the son of novelist Ernest-Aimé Feydeau and Léocadie Bogaslawa Zalewska. At the age of twenty, Feydeau wrote his first comic...
written in 1907, at the height of the Belle Époque
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was a period characterised by optimism and new technological and medical...
.
Plot
The play is set in Paris at the turn of the centuryTurn of the century
Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....
. Raymonde Chandebise, after years of wedded bliss, begins to doubt the fidelity of her husband, Victor Emmanuel, who has suddenly become sexually inactive. Raymonde is unaware that his behavior is due to a nervous condition. She confides her doubts to her old friend Lucienne, who suggests a trick to test him. They write him a letter, in Lucienne’s handwriting, from a fictitious and anonymous admirer, requesting a rendezvous at the Hotel Coq d’Or, an establishment with a dubious reputation, but a large and prominent clientele. Raymonde intends to confront her husband there, and she and Lucienne leave to do so.
When Victor Emmanuel receives the letter, however, he has no interest in such an affair and believes the invitation from the mysterious woman was meant for his best friend Tournel, a handsome bachelor. Unknown to Victor Emmanuel, Tournel has his eye on Raymonde and eagerly exits to make the appointment.
Camille, the young nephew of Victor Emmanuel, is overjoyed to have his speech impediment corrected by a new silver palate from Dr. Finache. In celebration, he and the household cook, Antoinette, also hurry to the Hotel Coq d’Or, followed by Etienne, Antoinette's jealous husband. Dr. Finache decides to go to the hotel in search of his own afternoon rendezvous.
Victor Emmanuel shows the letter to Lucienne’s husband, Carlos Homenides de Histangua, a passionate and violent Spaniard. Carlos recognizes Lucienne’s handwriting and assumes that she is trying to start an affair with Victor Emmanuel. He runs off to the hotel, vowing to kill her. Victor Emmanuel, hoping to prevent the threatened murder, hurries off in pursuit.
The various characters arrive in search of their goals: Finache for fun; Raymonde for Victor Emmanuel; Tournel for Raymonde; Camille with Antoinette, followed by Etienne; Carlos for Lucienne; and Victor Emmanuel to stop Carlos.
Carlos, attempting to kill his wife, shoots at anything that moves. Victor Emmanuel sees Raymonde talking with Tournel and believes she is unfaithful. Victor Emmanuel is believed to be insane when Poche, an alcoholic porter at the hotel who is a dead ringer for Victor Emmanuel, is mistaken for him. Camille loses his palate, and Tournel tries very hard to seduce Raymonde.
The confusion persists even after all are reunited again at Victor Emmanuel’s house. Things begin to clear up when Carlos discovers a rough copy of the letter written by Lucienne on Raymonde’s desk, this one in Raymonde’s handwriting. The owner of the hotel comes by to return an article left behind by a member of the household and clears up the confusion between his porter and Victor Emmanuel. Finally, Raymonde tells Victor Emmanuel the cause of her suspicions, and he assures her that he will put an end to her doubts—tonight.
Characters
Victor Emmanuel Chandebise is the faithful husband to Raymonde. He is having emotional issues that lead Raymonde to believe he is cheating on her. He looks remarkably like Poche.- Poche is a drunken porter of the Hotel Coq d'Or. He looks exactly like Victor Emmanuel and the two are often confused. He is played by the same actor as Victor Emmanuel.
Raymonde Chandebise believes her husband Victor Emmanuel is cheating when she, in fact, is having an affair with Romain Tournel. Her best friend is Lucienne.
Camille is the nephew to Victor Emmanuel. His speech impediment (being unable to pronounce consonants) leads people to lose their patience with him. He receives a silver palate to correct his impediment from Dr. Finache but promptly loses it at the Hotel.
Lucienne Homenides De Histangua is the best friend of Raymonde and the wife of Carlos. She introduces Raymonde to the plot to incriminate her husband.
Don Carlos Homenides De Histangua is a client of Victor Emmanuel and an extremely jealous husband. He carries guns regularly and is not afraid to use them.
Romain Tournel is the best friend and business partner of Victor Emmanuel and the lover of Raymonde. Chandebise sends him to the Hotel Coq d'Or, where he is delighted to find Raymonde.
Dr. Finache is the doctor for the Life Insurance Co. that Chandebise and Tournel work for. He is a personal friend of Victor Emmanuel and his nephew Camille and helps them with their issues. He is a frequent patron of the Hotel Coq d'Or.
Etienne is the nosy butler of Victor Emmanuel, married to Antionette.
Ferallion is the militarous proprietor of the Hotel Coq d'Or, the nephew of Baptistin, and the husband of Olympe.
Olympe is an ex-prostitute and the wife of Feraillon.
Antionette is the cook in the Chandebise home, married to Etienne but having an affair with Camille.
Eugenie is a maid in the hotel, may or may not be fooling around with Poche.
Baptistin is Feraillon's drunken uncle whom he employs.
Rugby is randy British guest at the hotel who speaks little or no French. He attempts to seduce Lucienne and Antionette. In translated versions, this character is often replaced with different names and ethnicities (such as a German man named "Herr Schwartz" in the 1967 English-language BBC production).
Television
The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
broadcast a production of the play on 7 June 1967. It marked the television debut of Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
, playing Étienne Plucheux. The same year, the RAI -TV of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
gave a live broadcast from the Teatro Stabile of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, directed by Luigi Squarzina, starring Olga Villi and Alberto Lionello
Alberto Lionello
Alberto Lionello, full name Alberto Lionello is an Italian film actor. Was an actor, voice actor and television presenter Italian he has appeared in over 38 films since 1956.-Selected filmography:...
.
Film
John Mortimer then wrote the screenplay for a 1968 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
directed by Jacques Charon (who had also directed Mortimer's 1966 translation for the stage). The cast included Rex Harrison
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey “Rex” Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards.-Youth and stage career:...
, Rosemary Harris
Rosemary Harris
Rosemary Ann Harris is an English actress and a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Throughout her career she has been nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and has won a Golden Globe, an Emmy, a Tony Award, an Obie, and five Drama Desk Awards.-Early life:Harris was born in...
, Louis Jourdan, and Rachel Roberts.
United Kingdom
John MortimerJohn Mortimer
Sir John Clifford Mortimer, CBE, QC was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
translated the play for the National Theatre, opening at the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
in 1966. It was directed by Jacques Charon
Jacques Charon
Jacques Charon was a French actor and film director.Born in Paris, Charon trained at the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique and made his début at the Comédie-Française in 1941...
and starred Albert Finney
Albert Finney
Albert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
and Geraldine McEwan
Geraldine McEwan
Geraldine McEwan is an English actor with a diverse history in theatre, film, and television. From 2004 to 2009 she appeared as Miss Marple, the Agatha Christie sleuth, for the series Marple.-Background:...
. This translation was revived at the same theatre from 4 December 2010 to 5 March 2011, directed by Richard Eyre
Richard Eyre
Sir Richard Charles Hastings Eyre CBE is an English director of film, theatre, television, and opera.-Biography:Eyre was educated at Sherborne School, an independent school for boys in the market town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset in south-west England, followed by Peterhouse at the University...
and starring Tom Hollander
Tom Hollander
Thomas Anthony "Tom" Hollander is a British actor who has appeared in productions such as Enigma, Gosford Park, Cambridge Spies, Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean, In the Loop, Valkyrie and Hanna.-Early life:Tom Hollander was born in Bristol and raised in Oxford, Oxfordshire, the son...
and Lisa Dillon
Lisa Dillon
Lisa Dillon is Critics Circle Award-winning English actress.-Theatre:Whilst training at RADA, Dillon appeared in several training productions, including: Hamlet and The Tempest by William Shakespeare, The Devils by John Whiting, The Devil's Law Case by John Webster, Yentl by Leah Napolin and The...
http://www.oldvictheatre.com/whatson.php?id=69.
America
The first American production - an updated translation - occurred in the spring of 1967 at the Loeb Theater, Cambridge, Massachusetts.An English language translation by Barnett Shaw had a brief Broadway run at the ANTA Playhouse
August Wilson Theatre
The August Wilson Theatre, located at 245 West 52nd Street in New York City, is a Broadway theatre.Designed by architects C. Howard Crane and Kenneth Franzheim and constructed by the Theatre Guild, it opened as the Guild Theatre in 1925 with a revival of George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and...
in 1969. It was directed by Gower Champion
Gower Champion
Gower Carlyle Champion was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer.-Early years:Champion was born in Geneva, Illinois, the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Carlisle. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Fairfax High School...
and starred Robert Gerringer
Robert Gerringer
Robert Gerringer was an American character actor perhaps best known as Dr. Dave Woodard #2 on the soap opera cum cult TV series Dark Shadows, a role he played during 1967...
and Ruth Kobart
Ruth Kobart
Ruth Kobart was an American performer, whose six-decade career encompassed opera, Broadway musical theatre, regional theatre, films, and television.-Life and career:...
.
An adaptation by Jean-Marie Besset and Mark O'Donnell was staged by the Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
in New York City in 1998. Directed by Bill Irwin
Bill Irwin
William Mills "Bill" Irwin is an American actor and clown noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He is known for his vaudeville-style stage acts, but has made a number of appearances on film and television and won a Tony Award for a dramatic role on...
, it opened on 5 March and ran for 77 performances. The cast included Mark Linn-Baker
Mark Linn-Baker
Mark Linn-Baker is an American actor and director famous for his role as Larry Appleton on the television sitcom Perfect Strangers.-Early life and career:...
, Alice Playten
Alice Playten
Alice Playten was an American actress and singer.-Life and career:Born Alice Plotkin in New York City, Playten began her career in the Broadway musical Gypsy...
, and Richard B. Shull
Richard B. Shull
Richard Bruce Shull was an American character actor.-Career:Shull was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Zana Marie , a court stenographer, and Ulysses Homer Shull, a manufacturing executive. Shull attended the University of Iowa and served in the U.S. Army before starting his Broadway career...
.
An adaptation by David Ives was performed by the Constellation Theatre Company at the Source Theater in Washington, DC from 8 October to 8 November 2009.
Východočeské divadlo, Pardubice
- Directed by Lída Engelová. The play had premiere 5 and 6 April 2008 in Eastern Bohemian Theatre, PardubicePardubicePardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle...
. Czech title is Brouk v hlavě. - Viktor Emanuel Champsboisy and Bouton .... Jiří Kalužný
- Camille Champsboisy .... Ladislav Špiner
- Marcela Champsboisy .... Jindra Janoušková
- Romain Tournel .... Martin Mejzlík
- Carlos Homenides de Histangua .... Martin Mňahončák
- Luisa Homenides de Histangua .... Kristina Jelínková
- Doktor Finache .... Václav Dušek
- Étienne .... Radek Žák
- Yvette .... Martina Sikorová
- Augustin Ferraillon .... Zdeněk Rumpík
- Olympe Ferraillon .... Dagmar Novotná
- Eugenia .... Romana Chvalová
- Rugby, American customer .... Alexandr Postler
- Baptistin .... Jindřich Kratochvíl
Městské divadlo, Brno
- Directed by Gustav Skála. The play had premiere at 27 April 1996 in City Theatre, BrnoBrnoBrno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
. 143 repeats. - Viktor Emanuel Champsboisy and Bouton .... Jiří Dvořák/Petr Štěpán
- Camille Champsboisy .... Igor Ondříček
- Marcela Champsboisy .... Jana Musilová
- Romain Tournel .... Erik Pardus
- Carlos Homenides de Histangua .... Ladislav Kolář
- Luisa Homenides de Histangua .... Zdena Herfortová
- Doktor Finache .... Josef Jurásek
- Étienne .... Karel Mišurec
- Yvette .... Markéta Sedláčková, Mária Lalková/Petra Jungmannová
- Augustin Ferraillon .... Zdeněk Junák
- Olympe Ferraillon .... Eva Gorčicová
- Eugenia .... Marcela Dürrová
- Rugby, American customer .... Tomáš Sagher/Robert Jícha
- Baptistin .... ???
Divadlo Na Vinohradech, Prague
- Directed by Václav Hudeček. The play had premiere in 1970 at Vinohrady Theatre, PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. - Viktor Emanuel Champsboisy and Bouton .... Vlastimil BrodskýVlastimil BrodskýVlastimil Brodský was a respected Czech actor. He appeared in over 90 films, and is considered a key figure in the postwar development of Czech cinema....
- Jiřina Jirásková
- Zdeněk Řehoř
- Jiří Pleskot
- Karolina Slunéčková
- Otakar Brousek
- Josef Bláha
- Lída Vostrčilová
- Vladimír Krška
- Stanislava Bartošová
- Věra Budilová
- Jan Schánilec
- Gustav Nezval
- Jaromír Hanzlík
Jugoslovensko Dramsko Pozoriste, Belgrade
Directed by Ljubisa Ristic premiere was on 07 June 1971 with more than 1300 as of performances as of Mar 2011.
Cast:
- Viktor Emanuel Champsboisy and Bouton .... Nikola Simić
- Camille Champsboisy .... Milan Gutović
- Marcela Champsboisy .... Rada Đuričin
- Romain Tournel .... Voja Brajović
- Carlos Homenides de Histangua .... Marko Todorović
- Luisa Homenides de Histangua .... Branka Petrić
- Doktor Finache .... Moris Levi
- Étienne .... Boro Stjepanović
- Yvette .... Yorica Šumadinac
- Augustin Ferraillon .... Vlasta Velisavljević
- Eugenia .... Vesna Latinger
- Baptistin .... Branko Milenković
Film
- Directed by Zdeněk Zelenka.
- Viktor Emmanuel Champsboisy and Bouton .... Viktor Preiss
- Camille Champsboisy .... Michal Novotný
- Marcela Champsboisy .... Zlata Adamovská
- Romain Tournel .... Jan Hrušínský
- Carlos Homenides de Histangua .... Martin Dejdar
- Luisa Homenides de Histangua .... Ilona Svobodová
- Doktor Finache .... František Němec
- Étienne .... Martin Taclík
- Yvette .... Alžbeta Stanková
- Augustin Ferraillon .... Václav Postránecký
- Olympe Ferraillon .... Jaroslava Obermaierová
- Baptistin .... Stanislav Fišer