In theatre, a farce is a comedy that aims at entertaining the audience through situations
that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, and thus improbable.
Farces are often highly incomprehensible plot-wise, but viewers are encouraged not to try to follow
the plot in order to avoid becoming confused and overwhelmed.
Farce is also characterized by physical humor, the use of deliberate absurdity or nonsense,
and broadly stylized performances.
Farces have been written for the stage and film.
Furthermore, a farce is also often set in one particular location, where all events
occur.
Japan has a centuries-old tradition of farce plays called Kyōgen.
These plays are performed as comic relief during the long, serious Noh plays.
Chronology Classical antiquity
Satyr play Phlyax play
Menander's Dyskolos Atellan Farce
Plautus' Aulularia Querolus
Britain Anonymous: The Second Shepherds' Play
Chaucer: "The Canterbury Tales" William Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors
Aphra Behn: The Rover Henry Fielding: The Author's Farce
Arthur Murphy: The Citizen Samuel Foote: The Liar
Elizabeth Inchbald: Appearance Is Against Them; The Wedding Day
John Maddison Morton: Box and Cox Charles Dickens: The Lamplighter
Arthur Wing Pinero: The Magistrate Brandon Thomas: Charley's Aunt
J.M.
Barrie: Walker, London Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest
Ben Travers: Thark Noël Coward: Hay Fever; Present Laughter;
Blithe Spirit Thornton Wilder: The Matchmaker
Philip King: See How They Run Big Bad Mouse Pools Paradise
Peter Shaffer: Black Comedy Joe Orton: Loot What the Butler Saw
Michael Pertwee: Don't Just Lie There, Say Something!
Anthony Marriott & Alistair Foot: No Sex Please, We're British
John Cleese & Connie Booth: Fawlty Towers John Chapman & Anthony Marriott: Shut Your
Eyes and Think of England Alan Ayckbourn: Taking Steps
Tom Stoppard: On the Razzle Derek Benfield: Touch and Go
Michael Frayn: Noises Off Nigel Williams: W.C.P.C.
Ken Friedman: Claptrap Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen: Chance in
a Million Miles Tredinnick: Laugh?
I Nearly Went To Miami!
Alan Ayckbourn: A Small Family Business Miles Tredinnick: It’s Now Or Never!
Tom Kempinski: Sex Please, We're Italian!
Ray Cooney: Funny Money Robin Hawdon: Perfect Wedding
Steven Moffat: Coupling Miles Tredinnick: Up Pompeii!
France
The Boy and the Blind Man, 13th century, oldest written French farce.
La Farce de maître Pierre Pathelin The Liar
Molière: Tartuffe Molière: The Miser
Labiche: La Cagnotteand other plays.
Alfred Hennequin and Alfred Delacour: Le Procès Veauradieux
Georges Feydeau: Le Dindon Octave Mirbeau : Farces et moralités.
Georges Feydeau: A Flea in Her Ear Marc Camoletti: Boeing Boeing and Pyjama pour
Six [1] Jean Poiret: La Cage aux Folles
Germany Carl Laufs & Wilhelm Jacoby: Pension Schöller
Franz Arnold & Ernst Bach: Wochenende im Paradies [2]
Miles Tredinnick with Ursula Lyn and Adolf Opel: ...Und Morgen Fliegen Wir Nach Miami
Italy Dario Fo: Morte accidentale di un anarchico
also known as Accidental Death of an Anarchist was first played on December 5, 1970 in Varese,
Italy Poland
Aleksander Fredro: Zemsta, 1834 Gabriela Zapolska: The Morality of Mrs. Dulska,
1906 Sławomir Mrożek: Tango, 1964; Emigranci,
1974 Russia
Nikolai Gogol The Government Inspector Anton Chekhov A Marriage Proposal The Cherry
Orchard and The Bear Mikhail Bulgakov The Master and Margarita
Spain Cervantes Saavedra's Don Quixote
Mortadelo y Filemón United States
Film 101 Dalmatians
The Bank Dick Clue
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo
Ferris Bueller's Day Off Freaky Friday
Good Neighbor Sam The Hangover
Herbie Rides Again Home Alone
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World The Love Bug
The Mating Season Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Mystery Monkey Business
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break No Deposit, No Return
Noises Off Now You See Him, Now You Don't
Oscar The Pink Panther
Problem Child Rat Race
The Shaggy Dog What's Up, Doc?
Television 3rd Rock from the Sun
Arrested Development Curb Your Enthusiasm
Frasier I Love Lucy
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Modern Family
Police Squad!
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Three's Company
The Three Stooges Canada
Royal Canadian Air Farce This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Animated American Dad!
Archer Chowder
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
South Park Theatre
Richard Bean: One Man, Two Guvnors Abe Burrows: Cactus Flower
Marc Camoletti: Don't Dress for Dinner Christopher Durang: Beyond Therapy
Joseph Kesselring: Arsenic and Old Lace Ken Ludwig: Lend Me a Tenor / Leading Ladies
David Mamet: Romance Terrence McNally: The Ritz
Larry Shue: The Nerd / The Foreigner Neil Simon: Rumors
Stephen Sondheim: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, book by Larry Gelbart
Mark Twain: Is He Dead?
References
See also Bedroom farce
Aldwych farce External links
IMDB list of film and television farces Farce films at Allmovie
List of Farce movies on SimilarKind