Octave Mirbeau was one of the most prolific literary figures of France’s storied Belle Époque, and his innovative theatrical works are only recently being rediscovered and appreciated by modern audiences. Here for the first time in English-language translation are his two most celebrated and successful plays: Business is Business, a classical comedy of manners recalling Molière; and Charity, a satirical comedy centered around the exploitation of adolescents in a dubious charity home. In addition to the play texts, this volume also includes an introduction contextualizing the works and the translation and adaptation process.
Table of Content
Introduction: Octave Mirbeau: A biographical sketch
Octave Mirbeau: A Theatre Chronology
Business is Business, a comedy in three acts
(Les Affaires sont les affaires, 1903)
Charity, a comedy in three acts
(Le Foyer, 1908)
About the author
Richard J. Hand is a professor of media practice at the University of East Anglia, UK. He has a special interest in popular performance culture, especially horror, using critical and practical research methodologies. He is the author of books on horror radio drama, Grand Guignol horror theatre and co-editor of books on horror film and the Gothic. Richard is the lead scriptwriter for the US-based National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre on the Air, an award-winning podcast drama series. In 2020, the entire repertoire of the series was acquired by the Library of Congress for preservation in recognition of ‘its cultural and historical importance’.
Contact: Media Practice and Director of Drama, School of Art, Media and American Studies, School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
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