author
Jean-François Regnard
1655–1709
A witty French playwright and poet of the late seventeenth century, he became one of the best-known comic voices to follow Molière. His life was as adventurous as his theater, with long travels across Europe and a period of captivity that later fed the legend around him.
1 Audiobook
Voyages voyage de Laponie, voyage de Flandre et de Hollande, du Danemark, de la Suède
by Jean-François Regnard
About the author
Born in Paris in 1655, Jean-François Regnard grew up in a wealthy family and inherited enough money to travel widely while still young. Those journeys became a major part of his story: he traveled through Europe, was captured by pirates near Italy, and was eventually freed after months in captivity.
Regnard is best remembered as a dramatist, especially for lively comedies such as Le Joueur and Le Légataire universel. Critics have often placed him among the strongest comic playwrights to come after Molière, praising the speed, wit, and theatrical energy of his work.
He also wrote poetry and a travel diary, which helped preserve another side of his talent beyond the stage. Regnard died in 1709, but his reputation has lasted through both his sharp comedies and the unusually dramatic life that stood behind them.