Molière pour rire et pour pleurer
Where laughter becomes a weapon, and the stage becomes fate.
Molière pour rire et pour pleurer recounts the life of Jean‑Baptiste Poquelin, from his childhood in an artisan family to his rise as Molière, a central figure of French theatre. The series shows his difficult decision to abandon the family trade and join Madeleine Béjart to found L’Illustre Théâtre, marked by debts and repeated setbacks. While touring the provinces, he shapes his style and discovers the power of comedy. Back in Paris, he makes a name for himself with Les Précieuses ridicules, but his sharp satires provoke fierce opposition, especially during the Tartuffe scandal. Supported by Louis XIV, he continues despite attacks, literary rivalries, and tensions within his troupe, particularly with Armande Béjart. The miniseries also follows his growing exhaustion, his determination to perform at any cost, and his final breath after Le Malade imaginaire, the ultimate symbol of an artist who lived — and died — for the stage.
Cast
Jean-Pierre Darras
Molière
Caroline Cellier
Amande
Marianne Comtell
Madeleine Béjart
Roger Miremont
Molière jeune
Seasons
This miniseries approaches Molière not as a fixed icon, but as a man immersed in the cultural tensions of his time. It shows how his theatre emerges from direct engagement with reality: observing social environments, exposing hypocrisy, and confronting religious and political power. The narrative highlights the inner workings of a troupe, the material challenges of the profession, and the way Molière turns constraints into creative momentum. Far from the glorified myth, the series reveals a path shaped by compromise, strategy, and resistance. Ultimately, it portrays an author who uses comedy as a tool for social insight, and for whom the stage becomes the space where his freedom is truly at stake.
E1Episode 1
Nov 8, 1973
In 1642, Jean Poquelin, an ordinary upholsterer to the King, urges his son Jean‑Baptiste to become a lawyer. But Jean‑Baptiste is irresistibly drawn to the theatre — and to the actress Madeleine Béjart. Supported by her family, the young man founds “L’Illustre Théâtre,” a troupe devoted to tragic drama.
E2Episode 2
Nov 15, 1973
Faced with mounting debts and lukewarm reviews, Molière — newly self‑renamed — agrees to join the troupe of the aging Dufresne. It doesn’t take long before Dufresne entrusts him with its direction. Success follows. Back in Paris, eager to satisfy an audience constantly craving novelty, the stage director ventures into comedy.
E3Episode 3
Nov 22, 1973
Molière triumphs with The Pretentious Ladies, but the farce causes embarrassment. His rivals, judging the satire far too realistic, manage to have Molière’s new theatre demolished. Yet they hadn’t counted on the favor of King Louis XIV.
E4Episode 4
Nov 29, 1973
Molière found an ally in the person of the King. Both men were targeted and weary of the attacks from the “right‑thinking” members of the Catholic Church. So when Molière read the first three acts of Tartuffe to the King — a fierce portrait of a false devotee — the sovereign decided to have the play performed at Versailles, before the entire Court.
E5Episode 5
Dec 6, 1973
Molière moves from disappointment to disappointment. His plays fail to win unanimous praise, Racine — his treacherous friend — enjoys triumphant beginnings, and Armande’s jealousy grows. She reproaches him for neglecting her in favor of the young “Baron,” the son Molière never had. Poquelin then writes a toned‑down version of Tartuffe to present to the public.
E6Episode 6
Dec 13, 1973
Jealous of Molière’s success, Lully tries to discredit him in the eyes of the King. Crushed by debt, the composer dreams of claiming Molière’s author royalties. Meanwhile, Molière — aged and greatly weakened — has withdrawn to the countryside to write. Despite the melancholy consuming him, he refuses to give up performing The Imaginary Invalid, his final swan song.
Storyline
Molière pour rire et pour pleurer recounts the life of Jean‑Baptiste Poquelin, from his childhood in an artisan family to his rise as Molière, a central figure of French theatre. The series shows his difficult decision to abandon the family trade and join Madeleine Béjart to found L’Illustre Théâtre, marked by debts and repeated setbacks. While touring the provinces, he shapes his style and discovers the power of comedy. Back in Paris, he makes a name for himself with Les Précieuses ridicules, but his sharp satires provoke fierce opposition, especially during the Tartuffe scandal. Supported by Louis XIV, he continues despite attacks, literary rivalries, and tensions within his troupe, particularly with Armande Béjart. The miniseries also follows his growing exhaustion, his determination to perform at any cost, and his final breath after Le Malade imaginaire, the ultimate symbol of an artist who lived — and died — for the stage.
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