<p>Catalysterium, a fake doctor, breaks into the Niflanguille's house and diagnoses the couple and their servant with a supposedly fatal disease. He asks them to stay in bed, eats their food and prescribes very expensive medicines (in fact water) to rob them. Mr. Niflanguille finds out about the scam and gets his money back. Cataclysterium is beaten by the Niflanguille and their servant and forced to take an oath to give up medicine forever.</p>

Glove-puppet

All audiences

France

Paris

Duranty Louis Émile Edmond

Printed

False doctor

Medicine

Illness

Health

Medicines

Swindler

Punishment

Money

Syringe

Farcical

Satirical

French

Physician

Domestic servant

Lazzi

Headbutt

Blow-with-a-stick

Chase

Les Drogues de Cataclysterium

Cataclysterium's Drugs

<p>Pulcinella serves the house of Lady Celestina. He comes back from a medical appointment with one kilo of English salt to purge himself. He leaves it in the kitchen. Celestina asks for a favour. He must pose as her husband, who is travelling, and sends back one of her suitors. But Pulcinella cannot remember the sentence Celestina suggested he told the suitor. Meanwhile, Felice – Celestina’s piano teacher – arrives. Felice is starving and drinks a broth in which the English salt has been mixed. Thus, when Celestina asks him to pretend to be her husband, Felice is suffering from stomach aches and cannot rehearse his role either. Then Celestina asks for her neighbour’s help. Contrary to Pulcinella and Felice, endeavours to play his role well – as he used to be an actor in his youth. When Celestina’s suitor arrives, Pulcinella, Felice and the neighbour all play the role of Celestina’s husband. Much confusion ensues, heightened by the arrival of Celestina’s real husband.</p>

Not specified

Ferrajolo Francesco

Ferrajolo Salvatore

Italy

Salerno

Hunger

Husband

Seduction

Comical

Italian

Wife

Pulcinella

Servant

Felice Sciosciammocca

Music teacher

Neighbour

Actor

Suitor

Student

Off-stage voices

Misunderstanding

Word for another

Word warping

Disguised character (false identity)

Address to the public

Multiplied characters

'Na purga 'e sale inglese

A purge of English salt