top of page
Poster for le Prince et le Pauvre by Vidal et Salvia

THE PRINCE & THE PAUPER

An adaptation of the 2008 Marius Award winning musical Le Prince et le Pauvre

By Julien Salvia (music) and Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal (book and lyrics)

English adaptation of the book and lyrics by Michael Conley

In this musical retelling of Mark Twain's classic story, two boys trade places — and learn more about themselves than they bargained for.

In 1546 London, Tom Canty is a poor commoner who begs on the streets and dreams of being a prince. On the other side, Edward Tudor is heir to the throne of England but dreams of being a normal boy.

 

When the two meet, they decide to change places for a few hours. Unfortunately, they look so much alike that no one believes them when they try to explain who they really are. Edward encounters Tom’s cruel father, John Canty, while Tom must deal with Edward’s scheming uncle, Lord Hertford, who (with the help of his French henchman Gustave) plots to make himself the false King’s tutor.

Will the rightful King of England assume his place, or will a pauper wear the crown?

 

The English version was presented in concert form along side the original French version at the 2011 Next Wave Festival for new musical theatre in Montréal.

 

A production of the original French version with English surtitles was nominated for five awards at the 2012  Midtown International Theatre Festival in New York (including Outstanding Musical Production and Outstanding Music & Lyrics for a Full Production).

bottom of page