Jean-François-Alfred Bayard

Born in Charolles in 1796 and later active in Paris, Jean-François-Alfred Bayard was a French playwright and librettist best known for his work in vaudeville and opéra-comique. Reliable biographical sources agree that he became a remarkably productive writer for the stage during the first half of the 19th century.

Before finding theatrical success, he studied law and worked as a clerk. His breakthrough came in the late 1820s, and from there he built a long career writing plays and librettos, often in collaboration with other writers, for the lively commercial theater world of his time.

Bayard died in Paris in 1853. He is also remembered as the nephew of the dramatist Eugène Scribe, though his own output was substantial enough to secure a place in French theatrical history in its own right.