OLIVER GOLDSMITH, The Gentle Master

“Magnanimous Goldsmith, a gooseberry fool”

Friday 18th March 2011 at 20:30 hours for St Patrick’s Day festivities

At the Auditorium du Lycée Technique de Monte-Carlo, avenue de l’Annonciade

An evening devoted to the works of OLIVER GOLDSMITH (1728 - 1774)

Extracts from his two plays, the Vicar of Wakefield and other writings.

Oliver Goldsmith lived in the 18th century – an age of classicism and an age which also saw the birth of Journalism with the Spectator and the Tatler. An age of great names such as Swift, Pope and Dr Johnson, of the Dictionary.

Born in Ireland, he soon acquired a remarkable knowledge of the French language, learnt from Catholic priests with whom he spent his school vacations. He was indeed more akin to the intellectual Europe of his time and settling in London, became a reviewer of French and English works of literature.

Goldsmith relied on French authors for his original work. His two comedies were inspired by Marivaux. Marivaux’s plays provided the plot for ‘The Good-Natur’d Man’ written in 1768 and the romantic element in ‘She Stoops to Conquer’ (or The Mistakes of a Night) written in 1773.

His most well-known work is of course “The Vicar of Wakefield”. Written in 1762 and published in 1766 the Vicar of Wakefield became a text-book for French Lycées. It has remained in France his most popular work. French critics rank it as his best.

‘Poor little Goldy’ as he was affectionately called by Dr Johnson, was physically disadvantaged and to make up for his ill-favoured person, he dressed extravagantly in showy clothes and acted the buffoon to entertain his friends. He described himself as “Magnanimous Goldsmith a gooseberry fool”.

The actor David Garrick composed an amusing epitaph on Goldsmith :-

“Here lies Nolly Goldsmith, for shortness call’d Noll,

Who wrote like an angel, but talk’d like poor Poll.”

Telephone for complimentary invitations : 00 33 493 41 97 22

Extracts from plays: “She Stoops to Conquer”
“The Good Natur’d Man”
Writings: “The Vicar of Wakefield”
“The Deserted Village”

With the actors:
NICK O’CONOR, PAUL CONNELL, MIKE MUSTON, ASHLEY MUSTON,
LYNN SHARPE, KATHY LIVESEY and introducing SILKE

Directed by Virginia Disney