
Electronic text
11 pages
Bosses en trop
Bosses en trop was created as an homage to the traditional character Polichinelle. The play belongs to a three-part work entitled La Bosse du théâtre – Trois farces d’autrefois. The two other plays were Polichinelle Roy des fées, an anonymous parody performed in the Parisian Théâtre de la Foire, and Louis-Edmond Duranty’s Polichinelle retiré du monde.
As the Polichinelle in Bosses en trop asks a “Parisian puppeteer” or “manipulator of animated forms reminiscent of puppetry arts” to remove his humps, he gives Émilie Valantin an opportunity to satirise contemporary debates internal to the world of puppetry.
A fourth play was added to this three-part work in some shows: La Farce des bossus
– a farce by Tabarin from the beginning of the 17th century, which has belonged to the company’s repertory since 1995.
The hero wants to lose what makes him special but immediately changes his mind
Polichinelle’s humps get in the way of his sleep. Crispin advises him to go find the fairy Mélusine so that she removes them from him. But the Fée (Fairy) is not at home and her daughter, who is still learning magic, gives him the wrong ointment. Polichinelle changes into a camel. He will have to find white roses to break the spell.
Madame Dupont-Duteil is on her way to a marriage with a bouquet of white roses. She faints at the sight of the camel eating the flowers and transforming back into Polichinelle. Mère Gigogne, Polichinelle’s mother, gives birth to several children. She helps Madame Dupont-Duteil regain consciousness and has her believe that Polichinelle wants to marry her – news at which she runs away.
Vexed, Polichinelle summons the Devil. He traps him in a sewing box and the Devil teaches him how to get rid of his humps—he must find a Parisian Marionnettiste (a Puppeteer). The latter removes Polichinelle’s humps. Having become “like everyone else”, Polichinelle lost his immortality. Death comes to take him away, but He has forgotten His scythe. While Death is looking for it, Polichinelle asks the Parisian Marionnettiste to glue his humps back on him.
Death comes back with His scythe and fights with Polichinelle, who prevails. Crispin sets the Devil free. As a way to thank him, Death grants him a wish and Crispin asks to be loved by Madame Dupont-Duteil. He makes a deal with the Devil and Madame Dupont-Duteil invites Crispin over to her house. The Devil laments not having taken Polichinelle’s life but comforts himself with the thought that he has won Crispin who, having left with Madame Dupont-Duteil, is already “in Hell” in a way.
First performance
Amphitheatre of the Nouvel Opera House in Lyon, directed by Émilie Valantin