DUT stages Molière’s Imaginary Invalid
Courtyard Theatre: Mon 28 – Thurs 31 Aug 2023
DUT third year Drama students will be staging Molière’s Imaginary Invalid, the timeless satirical comedy about the foibles of a scheming, melodramatic hypochondriac, his hapless family and a slew of dishonest doctors, which comes to the DUT Courtyard Theatre from Monday 28 until Thursday 31 August.
Molière’s Imaginary Invalid is an outrageously funny masterpiece. The imaginary invalid of the title is the miserly and severely hypochondriac Argan, who wants his daughter, Angélique, to marry an unattractive, somewhat stupid young doctor so he can save on his medical bills. But she’s in love with the handsome and clever Cléante who pretends to be her music teacher. Argan has a scheming wife who wants to banish her stepdaughter Angélique and inherit the family money before Argan can spend it all. It is ultimately up to Toinette, the family’s faithful servant, to set the household to rights again.
Molière wrote frequently about doctors, and six of his comedies deal significantly with medical practitioners: the stereotype of the doctor who is greedy, pompous and inept—often speaking a jumble of Latin and Greek to prove his intelligence. The bumbling doctor is a stock character of commedia dell’arte, the Italian form that influenced Western comedy. Molière wrote The Imaginary Invalid as a comédie-ballet, a form that originally fused music, singing, dance, and comedy.
Ironically, while playing Argan in the original production, Jean Baptiste Molière became very ill with suspected tuberculosis. He collapsed during his fourth performance as Argan on 17 February 1673, and died later that day.
The production is a hilariously funny high romp, traditionally presented with music and dance, which director Dr Pamela Tancsik, has re-imagined to allow the students the opportunity to showcase their comedic abilities, and perform in period dress – both important theatrical skills to nurture and develop.
Tancsik is using the productions original music by Marc-Antonie Charpentier and has sourced and created authentic-looking period specific sets, costumes and props.
This will be Tancsik’s swan song with the DUT Drama Department – she retires at the end of the year.
The cast of 14 are all DUT third years who auditioned for their roles.
Good to Know
Show times: Monday 28; Wednesday 30; Thursday 31 August at 7 pm and Tuesday 29 August at 3.30pm
Tickets: R 50 pp and students R 20
Available through: secretary Bawinile at 373 2194, email: BawinileM1@dut.ac.za
Photos by Val Adamson
DUT Stages Molière’s Imaginary Invalid
