The Fire that Consumes

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The Fire that Consumes
La Ville dont le Prince est un enfant
Written by Henry de Montherlant
Vivian A. Cox
Bernard Miles
Place premiered Mermaid Theatre
London, England
Original language French
Subjecta Roman Catholic priest is obsessed with one of the boys
GenreDrama
Settinga Catholic boys' school pre-WWII

The Fire that Consumes is an English translation of the 1955 play by French dramatist Henry de Montherlant, La Ville dont le Prince est un enfant. The play was translated by Vivian Cox with Bernard Miles, and staged at the London West End Mermaid Theatre in 1977 with Nigel Hawthorne and Dai Bradley in the key roles. [1] The title, literally translated, The City Whose Prince is a Child, is taken from Ecclesiastes 10:16: "Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!"

Contents

Summary

The Abbé de Pradts, a Roman Catholic priest, becomes obsessed with a junior pupil named Souplier. When Souplier forms a relationship with a fellow student, the jealous priest vies for his attention, yielding tragic results. [2]

Awards and nominations

Awards

References

  1. Whitehead, Ted (22 Oct 1977). "Theatre". The Spectator Archive. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  2. Riley, Kathleen (2005). Nigel Hawthorne on Stage.
  3. "Society of West End Theatre Awards 1977". West End Theatre. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2025.

Further reading