NT Education Workpack
Tartuffe
The play
Introduction
Synopsis
2
2
2
Interviews
Interview with director Lindsay Posner
Conversations with the cast
4
4
6
Discussion and practical exercises
8
Written work and research
9
nationaltheatre.org.uk
Martin Chamberlain
Melanie Clark Pullen
Martin Clunes
Nicholas Day
Scott Frazer
Debra Gillett
Tom Goodman-Hill
Sarah Hay
Suzanne Heathcote
Richard Hollis
Clare Holman
Andrew McDonald
Marianne Morley
Nick Sampson
David Threlfall
Sam Troughton
Margaret Tyzack
Julian Wadham
Deborah Winckles
Director
Lindsay Posner
Designer
Ashley Martin-Davis
Lighting Designer
Wolfgang Goebbel
Music
Gary Yershon
Director of Movement
Jane Gibson
Sound Designer
Christopher Shutt
Lyttelton Theatre, 5 March 2002 | Poster: photo of Martin Clunes by Mike Smallcombe, background photo by Richard Jenkins, designed by Michael Mayhew, printed by J&P Atchison © Royal National Theatre (registered charity)
Sponsored by
by Molière
in a new translation by Ranjit Bolt
Royal National Theatre
South Bank, London SE1
020-7452 3000
Tartuffe
by Molière
in a new translation by
Ranjit Bolt
Director
Lindsay Posner
Music
Gary Yershon
Designer
Ashley Martin-Davis
Sound Designer
Christopher Shutt
Further production details:
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Lighting Designer
Wolfgang Goebbel
NT Education
National Theatre
South Bank
London SE1 9PX
Workpack written by
Christopher Campbell, an actor
and translator. He is Senior
Reader at the National Theatre
and prepared the literal
translation of Tartuffe.
T 020 7452 3388
F 020 7452 3380
E education@
nationaltheatre.org.uk
Editor
Dinah Wood
Design
Alexis Bailey
Patrick Eley
The play
Introduction
How many foreign, non anglophone, playwrights
are regularly performed on the British stage?
Brecht? Ibsen? One play by Pirandello? How many
have survived over three centuries? Racine – just.
Corneille – very occasionally. And of course JeanBaptiste Poquelin, Molière, whose major plays show
no sign of fading and whose characters mutate and
adapt in such a way that they always seem to look
like our contemporaries.
In 1664, when Tartuffe was first performed, there
were calls for it to be banned and for Molière to be
executed. In spite of almost excessive efforts in the
text to deny it, the play was seen by many not as
an attack on religious hypocrisy, but as an attack on
religion itself.
The National’s 2002 production was conceived at a
time when it was still possible to doubt the
possibility of such a reaction. We relish the play
nowadays for its central character and its comic
set-pieces. Tartuffe has come to stand for
generalised self-interested hypocrisy and the
religious aspect seems less dangerous.
By the time it opened, questions about the
relationship between religion and religious fervour,
and religious hypocrisy had become topical and
powerfully charged once more.
Martin Clunes, David Threlfall
photo Ivan Kyncl
Synopsis
Orgon is a wealthy merchant. He has taken into his
household Tartuffe, an apparently devout and holy
man whom he has met at church. Although Orgon’s
mother, Madame Pernelle, is greatly taken with the
new guest, the rest of the household find him
repellent and are certain that he is a fraud.
Madame Pernelle condemns the rest of the family
and contrasts their dissolute ways with the
reverence and good conduct of Tartuffe.
Orgon has promised his daughter Mariane to
Valère. Orgon’s son, Damis, wants the marriage to
go ahead because he is himself in love with Valère’s
sister. Damis is convinced that Tartuffe is opposing
the match for his own reasons and he asks Cléante,
Orgon’s brother-in-law, to intervene.
When we first meet Orgon he is indeed besotted
with Tartuffe. The maid, Dorine, tells him how ill his
second wife, Elmire, has been but he is concerned
only for Tartuffe’s well being. When Cléante
reminds him of his promise to Valère, he is evasive
and shifty.
In fact, Orgon has decided to marry Mariane to
Tartuffe. When he tells her she is aghast. Dorine
lists all the reasons she can think of why the
marriage would be a certain disaster but Orgon is
stubbornly determined. When Mariane says that
she cannot disobey her father, Dorine is harsh and
ironic, preaching revolt and resistance. When Valère
learns of Mariane’s inclination to obey her father he
is furious and the lovers quarrel until Dorine knocks
their heads together. They agree that Mariane will
pretend to accept Orgon’s decision while they plan
some way of escape.
When Damis hears about all this, he is all for direct
physical assault on Tartuffe. Dorine persuades him
to leave things to Elmire, who seems to have made
quite an impression on Tartuffe.
At last, in the second scene of Act III, the much
discussed figure of Tartuffe makes his entrance. He
sternly reproves Dorine for her looseness but when
Elmire comes on he seems to soften. As Elmire
attempts to speak about Mariane’s marriage,
Tartuffe reveals that it is Elmire herself that he
desires. Elmire promises not to mention this
outburst to Orgon in exchange for Tartuffe’s
support for the young couple.
Damis has overheard all this and informs Orgon
straightaway. Orgon doesn’t believe him and
Tartuffe defends himself with such a show of pious
humility that Orgon banishes and disinherits Damis
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The play
while confirming his intention to give Mariane to
Tartuffe.
this is simply an equal and opposite mistake. The
important thing is to know the false from the true.
Once left alone with Orgon, Tartuffe reproaches
himself for the trouble he has caused amongst the
family and announces that he feels he should leave.
Orgon begs him to stay, saying that he will make
him his sole heir as well as son-in-law, and in fact
that he will hand over all his worldly goods.
Madame Pernelle is still reluctant to believe ill of
Tartuffe, doubting even the evidence of her son’s
eyes. However, a bailiff arrives on behalf of
Tartuffe, giving the whole family twenty-four hours
notice to quit. In the confusion and panic, Valère
arrives with the news that Tartuffe has indeed
handed the incriminating casket to the authorities.
He offers Orgon money and his coach to escape.
Before Orgon can take up this offer, Tartuffe arrives
with an Officer, apparently to arrest him. To
everyone’s amazement, the Officer turns on
Tartuffe. The King it seems has seen through him
and pardons Orgon’s indiscretion over the casket in
return for previous services rendered.
Cléante begs Tartuffe to help reconcile father and
son but Tartuffe contemptuously refuses. Mariane
implores Orgon to let her enter a convent rather
than marry Tartuffe. Cléante urges him to see
reason. Elmire recounts how Tartuffe tried to
seduce her. Orgon is deaf to everything.
Finally, Elmire offers to prove her story. Orgon
conceals himself under a table and Elmire summons
Tartuffe. She seems prepared to listen to his suit.
At first cautiously, but with increasing confidence,
Tartuffe brushes her religious and moral scruples
aside and demands immediate sex. When Orgon
reveals himself in fury, Tartuffe calmly informs him
that since the house is now his, it is Orgon who
must leave. Orgon tells a dumbfounded Elmire
about how he came to make over all his goods to
Tartuffe. He also expresses worry about a
mysterious casket.
Martin Clunes, David Threlfall
Tartuffe is unmasked as a notorious impostor and
leaves for prison.
Orgon explains to Cléante that the casket contains
potentially treasonous papers belonging to an old
friend. Enraged now with Tartuffe, Orgon curses
religion and the religious. Cléante points out that
photo Ivan Kyncl
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Interviews
Interview with director, Lindsay Posner
Christopher Campbell
What made you want to direct Tartuffe?
Lindsay Posner
I already had a taste for Molière from directing
Misanthrope at the Young Vic. I enjoy the challenge
of the verse and the complexity of the
characterisation.
I’m fascinated by the fusion which Molière manages
of commedia dell’ arte with psychological realism.
The play seemed pertinent because of the
resurgence of fundamentalism in the world.
CC
This was before the New York attacks?
LP
Oh, yes.
The play also has one of the greatest comic scenes
in all drama - Orgon under the table while Tartuffe
tries to have sex with Elmire.
CC
I remember we had conversations early on about
other possible settings for the play.
Clare Holman, Martin Clunes
photo Ivan Kyncl
LP
We considered an Islamic setting. The Orthodox
Jewish community was mentioned as a possibility.
We thought about a Mafia family set-up or a Royal
family perhaps. All of these had a certain appeal
but equally they all had drawbacks. We felt it
important that Tartuffe should be a hypocritical
variation on an accepted mainstream social
position, so that setting the action in a minority
community in Britain seemed wrong. Also, it’s
essential to the plot that Orgon can command his
daughter’s obedience and that she can see the
justice of such a demand. And she offers to give up
money and position to avoid marrying Tartuffe so it
has to be more than just that.
And of course, we had already cast Martin Clunes
to play Tartuffe. We had to consider whether it
would be useful to dress him as a Mullah or a Rabbi
– and we thought probably not!
CC
Did anything in your approach change after the
New York attacks?
LP
No. The relevance was clear, but I had no wish to
exploit it. My view was that the relevance was
already there.
CC
The days afterwards did revive the “real religion v
hypocrisy” debate though.
LP
Yes, suddenly the great long speeches which
Cléante has – making it clear that Tartuffe is an
attack on a perverse and dishonest man rather than
on genuine religious feeling – those speeches
sounded very like things which were being said by
politicians every day; “These people do not
represent the real face of a great and tolerant
religion”, and so on.
The neon lettering on the set was a post
September 11 idea.
CC
Did you feel that rehearsals were on track from the
start or did you take any wrong turnings?
LP
Mostly on track.
Molière is not really interested in psychological
motivation, only in its effects.
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Interviews
At first we had Orgon too far gone in his obsession
right from the start. We altered that once we had
worked through to the end.
CC
Did the verse give any problems?
LP
Verse can encourage “coasting” from actors. It was
very important always to keep it alive and
supported.
During the run, in fact, they didn’t coast – but I
pretended that they did from time to time so I
could warn them about it and then they wouldn’t!
I had to convince the actors that the audience
could be engaged by argument. There are some
long speeches and the actor has to have confidence
that they will hold the audience’s attention.
anywhere between comedy seduction and fairly
brutal attempted rape. And, of course, there’s
pressure in playing a character which is well known
as one of the great comic creations. What if
nobody laughs?
CC
If you were to direct the play again now, would you
do it differently?
LP
I think I would set it elsewhere and make it darker.
We did succeed in making it a vital piece of
theatre. The play was a great and theatrical success,
with no inhibiting reverence.
This was a choice I made this time, partly
influenced by the mood of Ranjit Bolt’s translation.
In the world as it is now, I think I’d make it darker.
CC
How was Martin Clunes to work with?
Martin Clunes
photo Ivan Kyncl
LP
He was a little nervous at the start of rehearsals.
Partly, I think, just through long absence from the
stage. And there are so many choices to be made
about how you play the character; so much which
isn’t in the text. How much is he wearing a mask?
How consciously? How polite is he? How obviously
hypocritical? All of this is open to argument and
has to be decided in the end. The great scene with
Orgon under the table, for example, can be pitched
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Interviews
Conversations with the cast
CC
Do you see Tartuffes in the world around you?
DAVID THRELFALL (Orgon)
Yes. When I play a part it heightens my awareness
of the “type” of person I’m playing. Like looking for
a new car, deciding you want a VW, and saying,
“Aren’t there a lot of VWs around?”
CLARE HOLMAN (Elmire)
Not really, but some people I know have become
very interested in Gurus of the humanist/hippy
kind.
SAM TROUGHTON (Valère)
They probably don’t stand out so much today
because hypocrisy seems to be accepted amongst
our leaders!
MARGARET TYZACK (Madame Pernelle)
Tartuffes are confidence tricksters and if successful
are never caught – so, no.
CC
Do you have a favourite scene?
SCOTT FRAZER (Laurent)
I always watch the Tartuffe/Cléante exchange over
the dinner table from the wings. They both play it
so masterfully and pursue their own motives. And
watching Martin eat that chicken is hysterical!
DEBRA GILLET (Dorine)
I enjoy Act II because it’s an entire story in itself. I
love playing it – and having so much to say!
SAM TROUGHTON
I’ve loved doing Valère’s argument with Marianne,
but I did watch Martin in his nappy every night, so
it would have to be the trapping of Tartuffe.
NICHOLAS DAY (M. Loyal)
Mine.
CC
Is there a scene, or a moment, which you struggled
to make work?
NICHOLAS DAY
Mine.
Martin Clunes
photo Ivan Kyncl
CLARE HOLMAN
Act III, the first scene with Tartuffe. Elmire says
very little whilst being the object of desire – the
less I did the better it became but at first I felt I
had to keep responding with faces to Tartuffe’s
long speeches.
DEBRA GILLET
Still struggling! The “and Tartuffe?” – “Poor man!”
sequence in Act I when Orgon ignores the news of
his wife’s illness and worries about the perfectly
healthy Tartuffe. It’s clearly a commedia comedy
moment that doesn’t quite work now. Both David
and I feel the audience is a little let down by the
“routine” at that moment.
SAM TROUGHTON
Valère’s false exits during the argument were
difficult to find in the rehearsal room, but once we
had an audience they took care of themselves.
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Interviews
JULIAN WADHAM (Cléante)
Cléante’s debate in the first half about real and
feigned piety. I struggled at first to balance the
arguments and “turn” them. Unless you get behind
the argument, the speech is a long and meaningless
ramble.
CC
Do you have a favourite line – your own or
someone else’s?
SAM TROUGHTON
Valère to Dorine – “We’ll leave no avenue untried!
My God! I’m glad you’re on our side!”
– Just good fun to say it.
NICHOLAS DAY
“Why is matricide a crime?”
CLARE HOLMAN
“And now you’re rushing to the sweet
Before you’ve had the soup and meat!”
As Tartuffe rummages beneath Elmire’s dress…
JULIAN WADHAM
“I won’t be slow when vengeance calls
Not now I’ve got him by the…”
“Wait!”
Clare Holman, Martin Clunes
DEBRA GILLETT
“You’re to be Tartufified!”
photo Ivan Kyncl
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Discussion & practical exercises
For discussion
In what other setting might you stage Tartuffe?
What would be gained? What might be lost?
Is it possible to aim criticisms at a religious
hypocrite without also being seen to criticise
religion?
Why do you think Molière himself chose to play
Orgon rather than Tartuffe? Or to put it another
way; who is the play about?
Why do we enjoy watching the progress of a
hypocritical deceiver?
Practical exercises
Decide on something you would like to do and
then devise as many reasons as you can to
persuade other people that it would be in their
own best interests to let you do it. This is a very
interesting exercise which examines why we believe
some things and not others.
Form a circle. Each member of the group is given a
piece of paper with a number written on it from 1
to 10. The group is told that some of these numbers
are written in blue and some in red.
Nobody is to see anyone else’s number.
David Threlfall, Clare Holman,
Martin Clunes
photo Ivan Kyncl
Each person has to tell the rest of the group some
fact about their life. The number you have indicates
the importance of the fact to the teller – so if you
have a 1, you might say what you had for breakfast
while if you have a 10, you might relate your worst
fear or happiest memory. Allow time for thought
and preparation here. Questions will be asked
about what each person decides to say, so they
need to be ready.
If your number is blue, the fact must be true. If it is
red, then you must tell a lie.
Make it clear to everyone that no one will be made
to tell whether what they said was true or false at
any time during the exercise or after it is over.
Now go round the circle and get each person to
give their fact or story.
Once everyone has spoken, return to the first
person and allow questions from anyone who
wants to ask them. The group is trying to decide
which stories they believe. Move on to the next
person whenever you like.
It is possible to get a show of hands from time to
time to see whether there is consensus or even
unanimity about certain stories. Try to avoid too
adversarial an atmosphere. The interest is in why
we believe or not. Is it because of the teller’s
manner? Our prior knowledge of them? The
appropriateness of the purported fact to that
particular teller? Preconceptions or prejudices?
Don’t necessarily come to definite conclusions.
When the exercise appears to be more or less over,
reveal that all the numbers were red (which they
were). As the realisation sinks in that everyone has
been lying throughout, revisit those stories which
were most readily believed and look again at why.
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Written work & research
Written work
Write a letter from Tartuffe to the King, explaining
your innocence and the disgraceful way you have
been treated by Orgon and his ungrateful,
irreligious family.
Write a script for Tartuffe to appear on daytime TV.
Research
There is surprisingly little biographical material
about Molière in English.
company. Their website is at
www.comedie-francaise.fr
They have an online shop from which a number of
videos of Tartuffe, among others, can be ordered.
Other useful sites
www.site-moliere.com
www.theatrehistory.com/french
www.louis-xiv.de
www.costumes.org
The Life of Monsieur de Molière, by Mikhail
Bulgakov, is a wonderfully readable short biography
of the playwright. It is published in Mirra Ginsburg’s
English translation by New Directions (ISBN 0-81120956-3)
Many of the quotations which adorned the set
were taken from the Maxims by La Rochefoucauld
(1613-80) Published in English translation by Penguin
(ISBN 014044095X).
France’s National Theatre company, the Comédie
Française, was founded from Molière’s own
Martin Clunes
photo Ivan Kyncl
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