Description
COMPLETE AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT of this comedy mixed with couplets by Labiche and Marc-Michel, first performed at the Palais-Royal theatre on 16 December 1852 and published by Michel Lévy.
M. de Merlemont (played by Pellerin) is a domestic tyrant who keeps his pretty young wife Henriette (Maria Brassine) locked up. Henriette wants to go out with a new dress, when she is splashed by a gallant young cavalier, Nestor de Bois-Rosée (Ravel); wanting to make amends, Nestor chases Henriette home; the obliging husband appears and Nestor poses as the new servant.
Manuscript entirely in Labiche's handwriting. It opens with a list of characters, a description of the setting and the words : "To be returned to Mr Marc-Michel 33 rue de l'entrepont Saturday 11am".. It is then paginated from 1 to 59, with erasures and corrections, a few passages crossed out and marginal additions. It gives an initial version of the ending that is quite different from the printed text. A new 6-page manuscript, which includes the ending from scene 20 onwards, is played in finalised form and conforms to the final text.
Elegantly produced manuscript in a Bradel-style full violet cloth binding by the Devauchelle workshops.
Bound in the modern Bradel style by Devauchelle, full violet cloth, smooth spine, black title page, gilt title.