Overview

This deeply accomplished and lively monograph charts the career of a travelling French actor-manager whose impact and significance have been overlooked. The ""inimitable Monsieur Francisque"" (François Moylin, c. 1690-1770), was an extraordinary actor-manager and key figure in the early eighteenth-century theatre world of both England and France. Leader of a family of gifted performers, including his niece, the famous dancer-choreographer Marie Sallé, he took them to every corner of France and beyond, playing before Louis XV as well as George I and II of England. However, despite his fame among his contemporaries, Francisque's career has been largely overlooked. Robert V. Kenny resurrects Moylin from the footnotes of theatre history with this detailed case-study of an entrepreneurial actor-manager, his troupe and their repertory. Following them from the Paris fairs to the courts of Europe, via one of the worst riots in English theatre history, the book showcases the giddying range of activities and performances undertaken by this family and their associates. Through the careful piecing together of diverse and fragmentary historical records, Kenny reveals the crucial role played by Francisque and his troupe in the conflict between Parisian fairground players and the established theatres, stressing Francisque's major contribution to the development of opéra-comique. This book not only revives Moylin's legacy but enriches our understanding of cross-cultural theatrical exchanges in eighteenth-century Europe.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dr Robert V. Kenny
Publisher:   Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Imprint:   Boydell & Brewer
Weight:   0.666kg
ISBN:  

9781837652426

ISBN 10:   1837652422
Pages:   416
Publication Date:   08 April 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.
Language:   English

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations Preface Notes List of Abbreviations Introduction 1 Moylin, Sallé, Cochois, the gathering of the clan: 1690-1714 2 Francisque at the Fairs: 1715-1718 3 The first London season: 1718-1719 4 The open road between London and the Paris Fairs: 1720-1721 5 Success and failure in London and Paris: 1721 6 The fight goes on: Francisque and the first plays of Alexis Piron: 1722-1723 7 A provincial interlude and a Paris triumph: 1724-1726 8 Farewell to the Fairs and return to the provinces: 1726-1734 9 Monsieur Francisque in Brussels and London: 1733-1734 10 The London season, 1734-1735: Part One 11 The London season, 1734-1735: Part Two 12 Brief scenes from the French provinces: 1736-1737 13 'A sharp and bloody battle': the Haymarket riot: October 1738 14 'Comédiens du Roi': last years and final curtain: 1739-1770 15 Francisque's legacy and family fortunes Appendices I Contract for the Théâtre de la Monnaie: Brussels 1733 II The repertoire of the London season 1734 to 1735 III Micault's manuscript list of performances in Dijon, 1739-40 and 1750-1 Bibliography Index

Reviews

Author Information

ROBERT V. KENNY is a former lecturer in French Language and Literature at the University of Leicester, England. He has published widely on French poetry and theatre, and British film comedy.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions