Description

A whimsical opening finds a weary narrator wrestling with midnight doubts, vowing a fresh start for the coming year before the clock strikes twelve. The tone quickly shifts to a lively stage‑play at St. James’s, where the dignified yet bumbling Daniel Mérital juggles politics, romance, and a looming scandal. Through quick‑witted banter and exaggerated gestures, the characters parody the pretensions of high society and the absurdities of parliamentary intrigue.

The first act sets the scene with a tangled love confession, a mysterious libel about a long‑ago ninepence theft, and a troupe of actors whose backstage antics mirror the onstage drama. As Mérital, his fiancée Renée, and the scheming newspaper magnate Frépeau spar over truth and reputation, the play foreshadows a battle of wits that will test honor, loyalty, and the very art of performance. Listeners will enjoy the clever wordplay, period charm, and the sparkling satire that makes this early‑twentieth‑century comedy feel fresh and entertaining.

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