Detective comedy by Pierre Chesnot
Translation: Marica Beligan

Artistic direction: Laurian Oniga
Decor: I. Géza Bíró
Costumes: Gyöngyi Újvárossy Kerekes
Premiere date: October 3, 1989

A New Year's party is being prepared in the castle of Master Lawyer Pascal Aubert-Chatard and his wife, Marie-France, when an uninvited guest appears; it is André Ferrot, a criminal whose defense Pascal gained his reputation in his youth, launching his brilliant career later. Recently escaped from prison, Ferrot asks Pascal to help him leave France and give him a considerable sum of money, blackmailing him on top of that with a secret he discovered by chance. Together with Michel Grosbois, Pascal was involved in a dirty deal with cocoa shares, which resulted in a compromising letter, currently in the possession of Judge Surreau. The letter ends up in Ferrot's hands, so that, amidst waves of champagne, music and dancing, Pascal and Michel frantically look for ways to steal the letter from him, and even kill him to escape the blackmail. After several assassination attempts fail, the two tranquilize Ferrot and throw him out the window, into the snow. The two would-be criminals, flushed with remorse, are greatly astonished and relieved when the next morning Ferrot comes down from his room, a little chilled, not understanding how he could have fallen out the window, but grateful to the extravagant Ludmilla for finding him and bringing him back to his senses. Touched by an unexpected love, Ludmilla and Ferrot leave together, floating in happiness, deciding to get married in Bolivia, forgetting any pretensions or blackmail.

Distribution:

Pascal Aubert-Chatard, famous lawyer:  Stefan Mares
Marie-France Aubert-Chatard, his young wife:  Ileana Iurciuc
Andrei Ferrot, a dangerous escapee:  Nicolae Barosan
Franck Surreau, investigating judge:  Tiberiu Covaci
Michel Grosbois, veros exchange agent:  Petre Panait
Hélėne Grosbois, his wife:  Mariana Neagu
Ludmilla Dessario, widow of the famous painter:  Anca Miere Chirilă, Alla Tautu

Technical director: Mărioara Goina
Prompter: Florence Szabo
Lighting: Vasile Blejan, Iosif Balogh
Musical illustration and sound design: Valentin Bodonea