History Theatre / MaratSade

* AsideGlance: The film is filled with these, particularly from the Herald, de Sade, and Coulmier.

* AxCrazy: Monsieur Dupere is played by one of Charenton's most dangerous sex maniacs. He often breaks character and tries to attack Charlotte Corday.

* PrisonerPerformance: Inspired by the Creator/MarquisDeSade's RealLife plays that he would put on in the Asylum of Charenton with his fellow inmates as actors, the work is largely a [[ShowWithinAShow play-within-a-play]] staged in the asylum's bathhouse where the inmates dramatize the story of the murder of Jean-Paul Marat by Charlotte Corday and frame a debate between Marat and de Sade. As the principal actors are all suffering from mental disorders ranging from narcolepsy to paranoid schizophrenia, and, moreover, as the subject matter of the play is often controversial with the Napoleonic government, there are several disruptions throughout the performance and other obstacles to overcome. Coulmier, the head of the asylum, often has to step in and act as a censor, as he objects to some of the material of the play, framed around the end of UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution.

* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: This is discussed in depth, in regards to UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution.

* LongTitle: The full title is 26 words long.

* InAndOutOfCharacter: As the inmates are mentally unstable, a few of them at times break character. Particularly, the inmate playing Monsieur Dupere is a dangerous "sex maniac" who regularly attempts to attack the actress playing Charlotte Corday.

* ShownTheirWork: Historically the Marquis de Sade (or Citizen Sade as he was called then) gave the eulogy for Marat's funeral ([[LargeHam he compared Marat to Jesus]]) and apparently he and Marat interacted a couple of times. Likewise, Sade was imprisoned in Charenton on one of Napoleon's whims and he ''did'' stage plays in the asylum as part of Coulmier's therapy.

--> ''What's the point of a re-vo-lution...''
--> ''without general...''
--> ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=jTNx_5jwp-I&NR=1 general copulation, copulation, copulation, COPULATION!!]]''

--> '''Jacques Roux''': ''[Speaking about Marat]'' Woe to the man who is different, who tries to break down all the barriers. Woe to [[BornInTheWrongCentury the man who tries to stretch the imagination of Man]]. He shall be mocked. He shall be scourged by the blinkered guardians of morality. You wanted enlightenment and warmth and so you studied light and heat. You wondered how forces can be controlled so you studied electricity. You wanted to know what man is for so you asked yourself, "What is this soul this dump for hollow ideals and mangled morals?" You decided that the soul is in the brain, and that it can learn to think--For to you the soul is a practical thing a tool for ruling and mastering life. And you came one day to [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution the Revolution]] because you saw the most important vision: That our circumstances must be changed fundamentally, and without these changes everything we try to do must fail.

--> '''de Sade''': If I am extreme I am not extreme in the way you are. Against Nature's silence I use action--in the vast indifference, I invent a meaning. I don't watch unmoved; I intervene.

A brilliant [[ShowWithinAShow play-within-a-play]], the principal characters of the Tragedy are played by the inmates in a mental asylum with various wacky little quirks, ranging from narcolepsy to paranoid schizophrenia. Madness ensues. The nurses and supervisors occasionally must step in to "control" the patients. The bourgeois director of the asylum oversees the performance while accompanied by his wife and daughter. As a supporter of the Napoleonic government in place at the time of the prisoners' production, the asylum director desires for this play that he has organized for the public to see to support his patriotic views. The performers, however, rebel, often speaking lines he had wanted cut from the production.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: All the named characters are real figures from history. Bonus for the fact that de Sade is portraying himself within the play.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: All the named characters are real figures from history. Bonus for the fact that de Sade himself is doing this, within the play.

* BlueBlood: Literally referenced during the depiction of the execution of King Louis the XVI. After the king is "guillotined", one of the members of the GreekChorus pours a bucket of blue paint to represent his blood.

A brilliant [[ShowWithinAShow play-within-a-play]], the principal characters of the Tragedy are played by inmates with various wacky little quirks, ranging from narcolepsy to paranoid schizophrenia. Madness ensues. The nurses and supervisors occasionally step in to "control" the patients. The bourgeois director of the hospital oversees the performance while accompanied by his wife and daughter. As a supporter of the Napoleonic government in place at the time of the prisoners' production, he desires for this play that he has organized for the public to see to support his patriotic views. The patients, however, rebel, often speaking lines he had wanted cut from the production.

The 1967 film version, which was made by the Royal Shakespeare Company under the direction of theatre innovator Peter Brook, is excellent. Creator/IanRichardson and Creator/PatrickMagee head the cast as Marat and Sade respectively.

''The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade'' (often shortened to ''Marat/Sade'', for simplicity's sake) is a 1963 play by Peter Weiss which tells the story of... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the title sort of covers that.]]

A brilliant play-within-a-play, the principal characters of the Tragedy are played by inmates with various wacky little quirks, ranging from narcolepsy to paranoid schizophrenia. HilarityEnsues.

Oh, did we mention that this is also [[TheMusical a musical?]]

The 1967 film version, which was made by the Royal Shakespeare Company under the direction of theatre innovator Peter Brook, is excellent. Creator/IanRichardson and Creator/PatrickMagee head the cast as Marat and Sade respectively. It can be watched (for the moment) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aur-t-RtOJM on YouTube]].

* RoomFullOfCrazy: The work takes place in a bath house at an insane asylum loaded with inmates.

* {{Minimalism}}: The play contains elements of this. Though the theatrical production's sets and direction are regarded as being highly intense and sensuous more than minimalist.

* MadnessMantra: "Freedom!", quite literally.

* ActingForTwo: [[invoked]] The ensemble cast portrays the inmates at an insane asylum who are, in turn, playing other characters within a play written by the Marquis de Sade. In the prologue of the play, the Herald introduces both the characters and the patients playing them, but blurs the line, somewhat, when introducing the priest Jacques Roux but not the actor playing him. Throughout the play, the actors slip in and out of 'character' (between the person they're playing, and the person that person is playing).

* ActingForTwo: The ensemble cast portrays the inmates at an insane asylum who are, in turn, playing other characters within a play written by the Marquis de Sade. In the prologue of the play, the Herald introduces both the characters and the patients playing them, but blurs the line, somewhat, when introducing the priest Jacques Roux but not the actor playing him. Throughout the play, the actors slip in and out of 'character' (between the person they're playing, and the person that person is playing).

* ActingForTwo: [[invoked]] Sort of. In the prologue, the Herald introduces both the characters and the patients playing them, but blurs the line somewhat--for example, introducing Jacques Roux but not the actor playing him. And throughout the play, the actors slip in and out of 'character' (between the person they're playing, and the person that person is playing).

* UsefulNotes/{{Network Executive|s}}: Coulmier.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Coulmier.

** "If I am extreme I am not extreme in the way you are. Against Nature's silence I use action--in the vast indifference, I invent a meaning. I don't watch unmoved; I intervene."

--> ''Woe to the man who is different, who tries to break down all the barriers. Woe to [[BornInTheWrongCentury the man who tries to stretch the imagination of Man]]. He shall be mocked. He shall be scourged by the blinkered guardians of morality. You wanted enlightenment and warmth and so you studied light and heat. You wondered how forces can be controlled so you studied electricity. You wanted to know what man is for so you asked yourself, "What is this soul this dump for hollow ideals and mangled morals?" You decided that the soul is in the brain, and that it can learn to think--For to you the soul is a practical thing a tool for ruling and mastering life. And you came one day to [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution the Revolution]] because you saw the most important vision: That our circumstances must be changed fundamentally, and without these changes everything we try to do must fail.''
---> [[MadOracle Jacques Roux]], speaking about Marat
* OutOfCharacterMoment: Several.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Marat and de Sade trade these.

* RoomFullOfCrazy: In the most literal sense.

* RuleOfThree: Charlotte comes to Marat's door three times. Lampshaded ''several'' times.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Invoked by the Herald, who mentions that [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Coulmier]] has edited certain 'objectionable' parts of the play. And he continues to protest throughout the play.
* ShowWithinAShow

* TooKinkyToTorture: He is literally the {{Trope Namer|s}} for this. Of course.
* VillainousBreakdown: Averted. There are ''lots'' of breakdowns, but there aren't any clear heroes or villains.
* WordOfGod: [[invoked]] Played with, seeing as [[Creator/MarquisDeSade the author]] [[WriterOnBoard is literally on board.]]
* WriterOnBoard: de Sade is one, literally.

* AsideGlance: The film is filled with these, particularly from the Herald, de Sade and Coulmier.
* AsideComment: Lots of this is done, mostly by the Herald, de Sade, and Marat.
* AxCrazy: A few of these.
* BedlamHouse: Charenton.

* CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority: The film is about UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. Come on.
* CrapsackWorld: Oh, so ''very'' much.
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: The title.
* ExecutiveMeddling: [[invoked]] One of the few times that this occurs ''during'' the actual play.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: All the named characters. Bonus for the fact that de Sade himself is doing this, within the play.
* InAndOutOfCharacter: Most of the inmates.

* LongTitle: The longest.

* MadOracle: Jacques Roux.

* MonsterClown: The Chorus, in the film at least, are four of these.

''The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade'' (often shortened to ''Marat/Sade'', for simplicity's sake) is a 1963 play by Peter Weiss which tells the story of, well...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the title sort of covers that.]]

The film-version, which was made by the Royal Shakespeare Company under the direction of theatre innovator Peter Brook, is excellent. It can be watched (for the moment) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aur-t-RtOJM on YouTube]].

There is also the 1967 film adaptation, directed by Adrian Mitchell.