The False Servant

Are you really surprised to discover that a woman might have a mind of her own?

When Lélio thinks he can ditch and cash in on the rich woman he has promised to marry, in order to become the husband of an even wealthier 'girl from Paris', he enlists the help of his attractive new friend, the Chevalier.

What he doesn't know is that the Chevalier is none other than this same 'girl from Paris' disguised as a man, and that her project is to publicly expose the depths of his sexual cynicism.

A self-declared 'modern', Marivaux is a pioneer in the exploration of human feeling, asking in this play not only what do we hide from others, but what are we hiding from ourselves?

Martin Crimp's version of Pierre Marivaux's The False Servant received its premiere at the National Theatre, London, in 2004 and was revived at the Orange Tree Theatre, London, in June 2022.

'Marivaux's scepticism, irony and fascination with money and sex make him seem peculiarly modern.' Guardian

'Thrills, chills, and belly laughs - this addictively adult comedy has got the lot.' Daily Telegraph

Auteur

Pierre Marivaux and Martin Crimp

Texte du rabat

I may be your servant in the theatre, but in real life, sweetheart, you are my sex-slave. Just you remember.

Lust and avarice trample on the finer feelings of love in this subversive take on sexual manners and the cruelties of courtship. The man thinks that marriage is simply a matter of money and property. But just how far should the woman go to prove him wrong?

A world of darker meaning lies beneath the wit and verbal exuberance of Martin Crimp's version of Marivaux's great comedy.