Martin Guerre; Marguerite Headed Back to the Stage?

The Stage is reporting that Les Miserables and Miss Saigon (and The Pirate Queen) team, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil's Martin Guerre is being prepared for a Summer 2011 revival on the West End with actor/musicians, based on a successful 2007 Watermill Theatre production of the show. The team are also reworking Marguerite, with Boublil noting that "I am completely rewriting it at this moment because I never thought it was finished. I think we took it to the stage too early."

Martin Guerre originally opened in July of 1996 at the Prince Edward Theatre to very mixed reviews, and the production was closed in October of 1996 for 3 weeks of revisions and re-opened to a better critical response in November 1996. It later closed in February of 1998.

The show was revived at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, England in July of 2007, directed by Craig Revel Horwood and featuring score and lyrical changes along with more spoken dialogue and a cast of instrument playing actors.

Taking place in 1560, Martin Guerre tells the story of two friends who loves the same woman. While on the battlefield fighting against the Protestants, Martin Guerre tells his friend Arnaud du Thil how he was forced to leave his wife, Bertrande, and start a new life. As Arnaud is urging Martin to return home to his wife, they are attacked by the Protestant army. Martin is stabbed and left for dead. Arnaud then visits Bertrande's village to give her the news of Martin's death. In the process, Arnaud and Bertrande fall in love. More trouble ensues when it turns out that Martin survived his wounds and returns to the village. However, in the name of their friendship, Martin forgives the lovers.

Photo Credit: Linda Lenzi