NT Education Workpack

Tartuffe

The play 2
Introduction 2
Synopsis 2 nationaltheatre.org.uk
Interviews 4
Interview with director Lindsay Posner 4 Martin Chamberlain
Melanie Clark Pullen
Martin Clunes
Conversations with the cast 6 Nicholas Day
Scott Frazer
Debra Gillett
Tom Goodman-Hill
Sarah Hay
Discussion and practical exercises 8 Suzanne Heathcote
Richard Hollis
Clare Holman
Andrew McDonald

Written work and research 9 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

Sponsored by
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)

by Molière
in a new translation by Ranjit Bolt

Royal National Theatre

South Bank, London SE1
020-7452 3000

Tartuffe Director Music NT Education Workpack written by

by Molière Lindsay Posner Gary Yershon National Theatre Christopher Campbell, an actor
in a new translation by South Bank and translator. He is Senior
Designer Sound Designer
Ranjit Bolt London SE1 9PX Reader at the National Theatre
Ashley Martin-Davis Christopher Shutt
and prepared the literal
Further production details: Lighting Designer translation of Tartuffe.
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk Wolfgang Goebbel T 020 7452 3388 Editor
F 020 7452 3380 Dinah Wood
E education@
nationaltheatre.org.uk Design
Alexis Bailey
Patrick Eley
 The play
Introduction mother, Madame Pernelle, is greatly taken with the
How many foreign, non anglophone, playwrights new guest, the rest of the household find him
are regularly performed on the British stage? repellent and are certain that he is a fraud.
Brecht? Ibsen? One play by Pirandello? How many Madame Pernelle condemns the rest of the family
have survived over three centuries? Racine – just. and contrasts their dissolute ways with the
Corneille – very occasionally. And of course Jean- reverence and good conduct of Tartuffe.
Baptiste Poquelin, Molière, whose major plays show
Orgon has promised his daughter Mariane to
no sign of fading and whose characters mutate and
Valère. Orgon’s son, Damis, wants the marriage to
adapt in such a way that they always seem to look
go ahead because he is himself in love with Valère’s
like our contemporaries.
sister. Damis is convinced that Tartuffe is opposing
In 1664, when Tartuffe was first performed, there the match for his own reasons and he asks Cléante,
were calls for it to be banned and for Molière to be Orgon’s brother-in-law, to intervene.
executed. In spite of almost excessive efforts in the When we first meet Orgon he is indeed besotted
text to deny it, the play was seen by many not as with Tartuffe. The maid, Dorine, tells him how ill his
an attack on religious hypocrisy, but as an attack on second wife, Elmire, has been but he is concerned
religion itself. only for Tartuffe’s well being. When Cléante
The National’s 2002 production was conceived at a reminds him of his promise to Valère, he is evasive
time when it was still possible to doubt the and shifty.
possibility of such a reaction. We relish the play In fact, Orgon has decided to marry Mariane to
nowadays for its central character and its comic Tartuffe. When he tells her she is aghast. Dorine
set-pieces. Tartuffe has come to stand for lists all the reasons she can think of why the
generalised self-interested hypocrisy and the marriage would be a certain disaster but Orgon is
religious aspect seems less dangerous. stubbornly determined. When Mariane says that
By the time it opened, questions about the she cannot disobey her father, Dorine is harsh and
relationship between religion and religious fervour, ironic, preaching revolt and resistance. When Valère
and religious hypocrisy had become topical and learns of Mariane’s inclination to obey her father he
powerfully charged once more. is furious and the lovers quarrel until Dorine knocks
their heads together. They agree that Mariane will
Synopsis pretend to accept Orgon’s decision while they plan
Martin Clunes, David Threlfall Orgon is a wealthy merchant. He has taken into his some way of escape.
photo Ivan Kyncl household Tartuffe, an apparently devout and holy When Damis hears about all this, he is all for direct
man whom he has met at church. Although Orgon’s 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 this is simply an equal and opposite mistake. The
Tartuffe. important thing is to know the false from the true.
Once left alone with Orgon, Tartuffe reproaches Madame Pernelle is still reluctant to believe ill of
himself for the trouble he has caused amongst the Tartuffe, doubting even the evidence of her son’s
family and announces that he feels he should leave. eyes. However, a bailiff arrives on behalf of
Orgon begs him to stay, saying that he will make Tartuffe, giving the whole family twenty-four hours
him his sole heir as well as son-in-law, and in fact notice to quit. In the confusion and panic, Valère
that he will hand over all his worldly goods. arrives with the news that Tartuffe has indeed
handed the incriminating casket to the authorities.
Cléante begs Tartuffe to help reconcile father and
He offers Orgon money and his coach to escape.
son but Tartuffe contemptuously refuses. Mariane
Before Orgon can take up this offer, Tartuffe arrives
implores Orgon to let her enter a convent rather
with an Officer, apparently to arrest him. To
than marry Tartuffe. Cléante urges him to see
everyone’s amazement, the Officer turns on
reason. Elmire recounts how Tartuffe tried to
Tartuffe. The King it seems has seen through him
seduce her. Orgon is deaf to everything.
and pardons Orgon’s indiscretion over the casket in
Finally, Elmire offers to prove her story. Orgon return for previous services rendered.
conceals himself under a table and Elmire summons
Tartuffe is unmasked as a notorious impostor and
Tartuffe. She seems prepared to listen to his suit.
leaves for prison.
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.
Orgon explains to Cléante that the casket contains
potentially treasonous papers belonging to an old
friend. Enraged now with Tartuffe, Orgon curses
Martin Clunes, David Threlfall religion and the religious. Cléante points out that
photo Ivan Kyncl

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 Interviews
Interview with director, Lindsay Posner but equally they all had drawbacks. We felt it
Christopher Campbell important that Tartuffe should be a hypocritical
What made you want to direct Tartuffe? variation on an accepted mainstream social
position, so that setting the action in a minority
Lindsay Posner community in Britain seemed wrong. Also, it’s
I already had a taste for Molière from directing essential to the plot that Orgon can command his
Misanthrope at the Young Vic. I enjoy the challenge daughter’s obedience and that she can see the
of the verse and the complexity of the justice of such a demand. And she offers to give up
characterisation. money and position to avoid marrying Tartuffe so it
has to be more than just that.
I’m fascinated by the fusion which Molière manages
of commedia dell’ arte with psychological realism. And of course, we had already cast Martin Clunes
to play Tartuffe. We had to consider whether it
The play seemed pertinent because of the
would be useful to dress him as a Mullah or a Rabbi
resurgence of fundamentalism in the world.
– and we thought probably not!
CC
CC
This was before the New York attacks?
Did anything in your approach change after the
New York attacks?
LP
Oh, yes.
LP
The play also has one of the greatest comic scenes
No. The relevance was clear, but I had no wish to
in all drama - Orgon under the table while Tartuffe
exploit it. My view was that the relevance was
tries to have sex with Elmire.
already there.
CC
CC
I remember we had conversations early on about
The days afterwards did revive the “real religion v
other possible settings for the play.
hypocrisy” debate though.
LP
LP
We considered an Islamic setting. The Orthodox
Yes, suddenly the great long speeches which
Jewish community was mentioned as a possibility.
Clare Holman, Martin Clunes Cléante has – making it clear that Tartuffe is an
We thought about a Mafia family set-up or a Royal
photo Ivan Kyncl attack on a perverse and dishonest man rather than
family perhaps. All of these had a certain appeal
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 anywhere between comedy seduction and fairly
right from the start. We altered that once we had brutal attempted rape. And, of course, there’s
worked through to the end. pressure in playing a character which is well known
as one of the great comic creations. What if
CC nobody laughs?
Did the verse give any problems?
CC
LP If you were to direct the play again now, would you
Verse can encourage “coasting” from actors. It was do it differently?
very important always to keep it alive and
supported. LP
I think I would set it elsewhere and make it darker.
During the run, in fact, they didn’t coast – but I
pretended that they did from time to time so I We did succeed in making it a vital piece of
could warn them about it and then they wouldn’t! theatre. The play was a great and theatrical success,
with no inhibiting reverence.
I had to convince the actors that the audience
could be engaged by argument. There are some This was a choice I made this time, partly
long speeches and the actor has to have confidence influenced by the mood of Ranjit Bolt’s translation.
that they will hold the audience’s attention. In the world as it is now, I think I’d make it darker.

CC
How was Martin Clunes to work with?

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
Martin Clunes
has to be decided in the end. The great scene with
photo Ivan Kyncl
Orgon under the table, for example, can be pitched

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 Interviews
Conversations with the cast CC
CC Do you have a favourite scene?
Do you see Tartuffes in the world around you?
SCOTT FRAZER (Laurent)
DAVID THRELFALL (Orgon) I always watch the Tartuffe/Cléante exchange over
Yes. When I play a part it heightens my awareness the dinner table from the wings. They both play it
of the “type” of person I’m playing. Like looking for so masterfully and pursue their own motives. And
a new car, deciding you want a VW, and saying, watching Martin eat that chicken is hysterical!
“Aren’t there a lot of VWs around?”
DEBRA GILLET (Dorine)
CLARE HOLMAN (Elmire) I enjoy Act II because it’s an entire story in itself. I
Not really, but some people I know have become love playing it – and having so much to say!
very interested in Gurus of the humanist/hippy
kind. SAM TROUGHTON
I’ve loved doing Valère’s argument with Marianne,
SAM TROUGHTON (Valère) but I did watch Martin in his nappy every night, so
They probably don’t stand out so much today it would have to be the trapping of Tartuffe.
because hypocrisy seems to be accepted amongst
our leaders! NICHOLAS DAY (M. Loyal)
Mine.
MARGARET TYZACK (Madame Pernelle)
Tartuffes are confidence tricksters and if successful CC
are never caught – so, no. Is there a scene, or a moment, which you struggled
to make work?

NICHOLAS DAY
Mine.

CLARE HOLMAN
Act III, the first scene with Tartuffe. Elmire says
very little whilst being the object of desire – the
Martin Clunes
photo Ivan Kyncl
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!”

DEBRA GILLETT
Clare Holman, Martin Clunes
“You’re to be Tartufified!”
photo Ivan Kyncl

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 Discussion & practical exercises
For discussion have a 1, you might say what you had for breakfast
In what other setting might you stage Tartuffe? while if you have a 10, you might relate your worst
What would be gained? What might be lost? fear or happiest memory. Allow time for thought
and preparation here. Questions will be asked
Is it possible to aim criticisms at a religious about what each person decides to say, so they
hypocrite without also being seen to criticise need to be ready.
religion?
If your number is blue, the fact must be true. If it is
Why do you think Molière himself chose to play red, then you must tell a lie.
Orgon rather than Tartuffe? Or to put it another
way; who is the play about? Make it clear to everyone that no one will be made
to tell whether what they said was true or false at
Why do we enjoy watching the progress of a any time during the exercise or after it is over.
hypocritical deceiver?
Now go round the circle and get each person to
Practical exercises give their fact or story.
Decide on something you would like to do and
then devise as many reasons as you can to Once everyone has spoken, return to the first
persuade other people that it would be in their person and allow questions from anyone who
own best interests to let you do it. This is a very wants to ask them. The group is trying to decide
interesting exercise which examines why we believe which stories they believe. Move on to the next
some things and not others. person whenever you like.

Form a circle. Each member of the group is given a It is possible to get a show of hands from time to
piece of paper with a number written on it from 1 time to see whether there is consensus or even
to 10. The group is told that some of these numbers unanimity about certain stories. Try to avoid too
are written in blue and some in red. adversarial an atmosphere. The interest is in why
we believe or not. Is it because of the teller’s
Nobody is to see anyone else’s number. manner? Our prior knowledge of them? The
appropriateness of the purported fact to that
David Threlfall, Clare Holman,
Martin Clunes
Each person has to tell the rest of the group some particular teller? Preconceptions or prejudices?
photo Ivan Kyncl
fact about their life. The number you have indicates Don’t necessarily come to definite conclusions.
the importance of the fact to the teller – so if you
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 company. Their website is at
Write a letter from Tartuffe to the King, explaining www.comedie-francaise.fr
your innocence and the disgraceful way you have
They have an online shop from which a number of
been treated by Orgon and his ungrateful,
videos of Tartuffe, among others, can be ordered.
irreligious family.
Other useful sites
Write a script for Tartuffe to appear on daytime TV.
www.site-moliere.com
www.theatrehistory.com/french
Research
www.louis-xiv.de
There is surprisingly little biographical material
www.costumes.org
about Molière in English.

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 0-8112-
0956-3)

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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