About the work
Verse drama in five acts by Edmond Rostand, written in 1897 and loosely inspired by the historical writer and duellist Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac. It premiered on 28 December 1897 at the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin in Paris, with Benoît-Constant Coquelin in the title role.
Plot
The eloquent but self-conscious officer Cyrano, ashamed of his oversized nose, secretly loves his cousin Roxane, who instead falls for the handsome but tongue-tied Christian. Cyrano lends Christian his words, writing love letters and whispering lines to win Roxane's heart while hiding his own feelings. Only after Christian's death in battle, and years later just before Cyrano's own death, does Roxane realise that the words she loved were always Cyrano's.
Cultural significance
From its opening night the play became one of the greatest successes of French theatre, running for more than 300 consecutive performances. It is regarded as the central work of literary neo-romanticism and has since been restaged, filmed, and adapted countless times worldwide, including as ballet and musical.