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.
Jean-Pierre Darras
Molière
Caroline Cellier
Amande
Marianne Comtell
Madeleine Béjart
Roger Miremont
Molière jeune
Bernard Alane
La Grange
Christian Parisy
Louis Béjart
Michèle Grellier
Catherine de Brie
Denis Manuel
Louis XIV
Wolfgang Weiser
De Brie
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.
Great Performances61%
The Vow70%
An Idiot Abroad77%
Good Eats87%
Travel Man: 48 Hours in...63%
Pretend It's a City74%
The First 4879%
The Temptations79%
How To with John Wilson80%
Penn & Teller: Bull!76%
WWE Evil78%
Urban Myths73%
Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe81%
1000 Ways to Die76%
The Angry Video Game Nerd75%
The Rehearsal80%
Once Upon a Time... The Discoverers76%
Brainiac: Science Abuse67%
Alexander: The Making of a God62%
Nature79%
