Le Régal des Dames is an anonymous play staged by Domenico Biancolelli’s company – the Comédie-Italienne – at the Foire Saint-Germain. The text that was retrieved is a summary written by Biancolelli in the Scenario, in which he kept track of the plays of his repertory. The original Italian play has been lost. Only the French translation by Thomas-Simon Gueullette has been preserved as a manuscript.

Biancolelli, who played Arlequin in the play, describes the entrances and the stage directions of the play. The Parfaict brothers wrote a less personal account of Biancolelli’s summary in Histoire de l’ancien théâtre italien (1753).

Arlequin’s entrance is typical of the time. He is dressed as a chimney sweep and carries a curiosité on his back, which he shows the other characters. Such a scene is also found in a comedy entitled Souffleurs (1694). During the third act, Arlequin acting in Brioché’s costume proves that Brioché was well-known at the time. In fact, five generations of Parisian puppeteers were known under this name. But it also reveals that there were little elements to distinguish between puppet shows and acrobats’ or illusionists’ acts.

Aurélia and Eularia’s guardian, Scaramouche, has imprisoned them because he would like to get hold of their belongings and marry Eularia. Cinthio and Octave, with the help of Arlequin and Trivellin, set up a series of ploys to see the two girls. One of those ploys consists in a curiosité show. They pressure Scaramouche into forsaking his ambitions. The third act is set at the Foire Saint-Germain. There, Arlequin disguises himself as the puppeteer Brioché and performs several magic tricks.