Chatsky & Miser, Miser! Two Plays by Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess was an energetic writer and composer. In Chatsky & Miser, Miser! Two Plays by Anthony Burgess, we see him tackling works by Alexander Griboyedov.

Miser, Miser! is a bold reworking of Molière's classic comedy of 1668. Harpagon the miser is hoarding a pile of gold, which he has buried in his garden. As he tries to sell off his daughter, catch himself a beautiful young bride, and outwit his scheming household of clever servants, the comedy of errors intensifies.

Although the original French play is written in prose, Burgess remakes it in a mixture of verse and prose, in the style of his famous works. This translation, discovered in the author's archive, is the work of a writer at the height of his powers, reinventing Molière for modern audiences.

Chatsky, subtitled 'The Importance of Being Stupid', is another verse comedy. The theme is that of the intellectual hero who rebels against the smug, philistine society in which he finds himself. First performed in 1833, Griboyedov's play was so heavily cut by Russian censors that it was barely recognisable. The play is a virtuoso vehicle for male actors and the source of many famous quotations. In this version, Burgess remakes a classic Russian play in the spirit of Oscar Wilde. It is a great feast of language and invective.

The complete texts of both plays are published here for the first time. This confirms Anthony Burgess's reputation as a gifted writer for the stage, and as a translator of great wit and sophistication.

MISER, MISER! CASTING: 7 men, 3 women
CHATSKY CASTING: 9 men, 7 women