The Script
History and General Analysis
Mark Camoletti, a French playwright, wrote the farce Boeing Boeing which premiered on December 10, 1960 in Paris. It was translated to English and premiered in London in 1962, with a seven-year run.There was a short Broadway run in 1965 (23 performances).
​
Since then, there have been several professional restagings:
-
1978 - Kansas City
-
2002 - Singapore (updated locations)
-
2007 - London
-
2008 - Broadway (279 performances)
-
6 Tony nominations, including costumes
-
2 Tony wins (Best Revival/Best Leading Actor
-
Drama Desk Awards for Best Revival and Leading Actor
-
​
There was also a 1965 American film with Tony Curtis and Jerry Lewis. Five foreign film versions have also been created, including Maylaysia and Egypt.
​
Boeing Boeing is classified as a farce, which relies heavily on physical humor and over-exaggeration, as well as wit. This show has seven doors prescribed in the script, which leads to many "almost" encounters between characters.
​
Other modern examples of farce would be:
-
The Play That Goes Wrong
-
Home Alone
-
Noises Off
-
National Lampoon's Vacation
​​
Creating costumes for a farce means making things that will allow for physical humor, possible pratfalls, and all kinds of movement. Actors have to be comfortable and free to move in a variety of ways or it doesn't work.
