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Ken Ludwig's The Three Musketeers

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  4w, 8m

By Ken Ludwig
Adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas

Ken Ludwig's celebrated adaptation of the timeless swashbuckler is a tale of heroism, treachery, close escapes and, above all, honor.

Ken Ludwig's The Three Musketeers

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 8m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adventure, Adaptation (Literature), Period
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences, Adult, Senior, Children (Age 6-10), Pre-Teen (Age 11-13), Teen (Age 14-18)
Ken Ludwig's The Three Musketeers

Details

Summary

This adaptation is based on the timeless swashbuckler by Alexandre Dumas, a tale of heroism, treachery, close escapes, and above all, honor.

The story, set in 1625, begins with D’Artagnan, who sets off for Paris in search of adventure. Along with D’Artagnan goes Sabine, his sister, the quintessential tomboy. Sent with D’Artagnan to attend a convent school in Paris, she poses as a young man – D’Artagnan’s servant – and quickly becomes entangled in her brother’s adventures. Soon after reaching Paris, D’Artagnan encounters the greatest heroes of the day – Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, the famous musketeers – and he joins forces with his heroes to defend the honor of the Queen of France. In so doing, he finds himself in opposition to the most dangerous man in Europe, Cardinal Richelieu. Even more deadly is the infamous Countess de Winter, known as Milady, who will stop at nothing to exact revenge on D’Artagnan – and Sabine – for their meddlesome behavior. Little does Milady know that the young girl she scorns, Sabine, will ultimately save the day.

History
Ken Ludwig's The Three Musketeers had its world premiere on December 6, 2006 at the world famous Bristol Old Vic, where it received ecstatic reviews. The director was Tim Sheader (Twelfth Night in Regent's Park), and the Artistic Director of the theatre was Simon Reade, former Literary Manager of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Men (8 with doubling)
D'ARTAGNAN
ATHOS
PORTHOS
ARAMIS
CARDINAL RICHELIEU
ROCHEFORT / STANLEY
KING LOUIS XIII / D'ARTAGNAN'S FATHER / BASILLE / FOUQUET / FACHE
TREVILLE / DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM
RAVANCHE
RAFFIAN
INNKEEPER
DEBRIS

Women (4 with doubling)
SABINE
MILADY / OLD WOMAN
CONSTANCE BONACIEUX / ADELE / SISTER AT SCHOOL
QUEEN ANNE / D'ARTAGNAN'S MOTHER / ELISE / MOTHER SUPERIOR / ABBESS
  • Time Period 16th Century/Elizabethan
  • Setting France, 1625. 
  • Features Elaborate/High-Volume Costumes, Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Stage Combat, Special Effects
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“Four stars out of four! Spectacular... swashbuckling... a mixture of love, adventure and good old-fashioned values.” – Bristol Metro

“[A] slick, swashbuckling romp that cleverly updates the Dumas novel... distilling its energy and strengthening its timeless appeal.” – The Guardian

“Ludwig tells a pacy tale with a suitable seasonal mix of merriment, musketeering, romance and the most gruesome stage death I've seen this year.” – The Mail on Sunday

“Four stars out of four. The Bristol Old Vic has come up with a real winner for its festive production. Ken Ludwig's adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's classic yarn is completely in keeping with the most popular Hollywood versions.” – Bristol Evening Post

“Breathtakingly authentic. Just the right seasonal mix of low comedy, stirring music, catchphrases ancient and modern and designs that suggest Hollywood in its heyday.” – The Stage

“[A] humorous script, lively characters and plenty of swash-buckling action... the best Christmas show the Old Vic has produced in several years.” – BBC

“Ken Ludwig's script is fairly groaning with giggles. In short, about as much fun as you would expect, and then a little more.” – Venue Magazine

“Two hours of pure awesomeness.” – The California Aggie

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

Ken Ludwig's The Three Musketeers: a Q&A
by Rosey Strub
September 25, 2019

For more info, visit kenludwig.com.

Videos

  • Meet The Playwright: Ken Ludwig youtube thumbnail

    Meet The Playwright: Ken Ludwig

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Ken Ludwig

Ken Ludwig has had six productions on Broadway and eight in London’s West End. His 34 plays and musicals are staged around the world and throughout the United States every night of the year.

His first play, Lend Me a Tenor, won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classi ...

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Author

Alexandre Dumas

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