Fortune Theatre Presents DING DONG, 8/20-9/11

Ding Dong, from Sexe et Jalousie by Marc Camoletti, translated by Tudor Gates and directed by Amanda Rees, featuring Clare Adams, Sophia Elisabeth, John Glass, Anna Henare, Elizabeth McGlinn and Tim Raby, will play The Fortune Theatre in its NZ Premiere from August 20th - September 11th 2010.

Bernard has discovered that his wife, Jacqueline, is having an affair with Robert. Being a reasonable businessman, Bernard gives Robert two options to compensate for the affair: either he will sleep with Robert's wife in order to keep things even, or he will have him killed. Needless to say, Robert chooses to let Bernard sleep with his wife. Scheming to woo her, Bernard arranges an evening meal with both couples present, much to the frustration of their overworked and underpaid maid, Marie-Louise. However, instead of bringing his wife to the dinner, Robert pays Barbara, a call girl, to pose as his wife for the evening. Meanwhile, Jacqueline does not know that Bernard has found out about her affair, and is stunned to learn that their dinner guests are in fact her lover and, supposedly, his wife. The Situation then becomes even more hilarious and confusing when Robert's actual wife, Juliette, turns up for dinner!

This modern French farce was translated from the French by Tudor Gates from the original play by Marc Camoletti.

French Farce is a popular comedy genre that uses unlikely, extravagant and improbable situations, disguise and/or mistaken identity, rapid repartee and often sexual innuendo. The plots are fast-paced with ever increasing speed until the climactic finale. There is usually a twist or two in the plot and the protagonist may get away with whatever he or she has been trying to hide - even murder. In this way French farce is tolerant of human foibles, often portraying people as vain, irrational, venal, infantile, neurotic and prone to knee-jerk emotional reactions.

Farce is considered a theatre tradition dating back to medieval times. Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer's Night Dream are of the farce family, as is Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. Marc Camoletti's Boeing Boeing and Don't Dress For Dinner

The genre is popularly used in film and television. La Cage Aux Folles, a film based on the 1973 play by Jean Poiret, later remade as The Birdcage starring Robin Williams, is a classic example, contrasting the characters of homosexual joy-de-vie with conservative relations. In television, examples of farce include Fawlty Towers, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Frasier, and Arrested Development.

The late Marc Camoletti's theatrical career began in 1958 when three of his plays were presented simultaneously in Paris - the first, La Bonne Anna, running for 1300 performances and going on to play throughout the world.

Boeing-Boeing (1962) was an even greater success, and remains Camoletti's signature hit. The original London production ran for seven years, playing more than 2000 performances. A 2007 London revival was again a smash and it played on Broadway for 279 performances in 2008-09, winning Mark Rylance a Tony award for Best Leading Actor and the show the Tony award for Best Revival of a Play

Camoletti's other most famous play, Don't Dress for Dinner, also ran for seven years in London.

Camoletti's plays have been performed in numerous languages in 55 countries. In Paris alone, 18 of his plays have totaled around 20,000 performances. Ten of his plays have also been shown on television, the most recent being Sexe et Jalousie.

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