First performed in Paris in 1666, The Misanthrope is one of Molière's great comic masterpieces. Exasperated by the corruption of society, the cynical but noble Alceste wrestles with his love for the wordly and coquettish Célimène.

This version of The Misanthrope was first performed at the Piccadilly Theatre, London, by The Peter Hall Company, starring Michael Pennington, Elaine Paige, and Peter Bowles. Ranjit Bolt has translated many of the world's masterpieces of theatre including works by Sophocles, Goldoni, Corneille, Beaumarchais and Brecht. His highly successful translation of Molière's The School for Wives (The Peter Hall Company) ran in the West End for six months.