classic, Cyrano de Bergerac, is an epic and heroic tale that has fascinated and enchanted generations. Not since 1938 has there been a more readable or stageable prose translation of this classic favourite. With a rich tapestry of gallant soldiers, starving poets, musketeers, marquises and bluestockings, Cyrano de Bergerac moves along with a fast-paced plot and a cast of delightful major and minor characters. At its heart is the chivalrous and intelligent Cyrano, masterful soldier, accomplished poet, ferocious orator, chivalrous lover … and the possessor of an extraordinary nasal appendage!

Edmond Rostand
Born in 1869, Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism, and is best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand’s romantic plays provided an alternative to the naturalistic theatre popular during the late nineteenth century.

John Murrell
John Murrell has been playwright-in-residence with Alberta Theatre Projects from 1975 to 1976, associate director of the Stratford Festival from 1977 to 1978, and head of the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts Playwrights Colony in 1986. In 1988 he was appointed Head of the Canada Council’s Theatre Section. Murell’s 1980 play Waiting for the Parade has become a classic repertoire piece in theatres in the English-speaking world.

Edmond Rostand's profile page

John Murrell is one of the most frequently produced Canadian playwrights. His plays have been translated into fifteen different languages and performed internationally. His work for the stage includes Waiting for the Parade, a Canadian classic; Memoir, which has been produced world-wide; Chalmers Best Canadian Play Award winners Farther West and The Faraway Nearby; and the libretto for the acclaimed opera Filumena. As a translator, he has created frequently revived versions of Chekhovâ??s Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, and The Cherry Orchard; Ibsenâ??s The Doll House; Rostandâ??s Cyrano de Bergerac; and The Four Lives of Marie, Elisaâ??s Skin, and Seven Days in the Life of Simon Labrosse, all by Carole Fréchette.

John Murrell's profile page

"[Cyrano de Bergerac is a] brilliant … unforgettable … impressive achievement”
– Edmonton Journal