''Power'' is a play by the British playwright
Nick Dear. It is set in the court of King
Louis XIV of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. It deals with the intrigue and tension of the court and explores the events and ideas that led Louis XIV to take full control of government and become an
absolute monarch.
The play is essentially a
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
, but also contains a great deal of comedy and
innuendo.
''Power'' was first performed by the
Royal National Theatre
The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
at the
Cottesloe Theatre on July 3, 2003, and the original cast was:
*
Jean-Baptiste Colbert –
Stephen Boxer
*
Anne of Austria –
Barbara Jefford
*
Nicolas Fouquet –
Robert Lindsay
*
Louise de la Valliere –
Hattie Morahan
*
Louis XIV –
Rupert Penry-Jones
*
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans –
Jonathan Slinger
*
Henriette d'Angleterre –
Geraldine Somerville
More recently, ''Power'' was performed by the
Putney Arts Theatre Company at
Putney Arts Theatre in February 2006, and the Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham between 17 and 22 July 2006. ''Power'' was premiered in the
Finnish National Theatre (Kansallisteatteri) 6 September 2006. It has also been produced at theatres in Portugal (
Teatro Municipal de Almada), Poland and Hungary.
External links
The Portuguese production of ''Power''
British plays
2003 plays
Cultural depictions of Anne of Austria
Cultural depictions of Louis XIV
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