“In the year 1431, in the city of Rouen, Jeanne d'Arc was executed; in the same year a boy, François De Montcorbier, was born in the city of Paris, whose destiny was to become the greatest poet of France, known under the pseudonym of François Villon. His fate was not an easy one: poverty, prosecutions, and banishments … It was an epoch when the country was ruled by the holy inquisition, and every word, carelessly uttered, cold bring one to the scaffold. The more so when such a word was rhymed. Villon lived a life of a vagabond, so nowadays we know but a few trustworthy facts of his biography. The last thing, known about him, is that in January 1463 he was once and again exiled from Paris, that time for 10 years. He was never heard from again. Two stories about him were later recounted by Rabelais: one told of his going in England, the other of his seeking refuge at the monastery of Saint-Maixent in Poitou. Still, we believe that the poet could not help coming to Paris secretly, maybe just for one night.” These are the words written in the leaflet, advertising the musical (libretto by Valery Stolnokov, music by Sergey Belogolov), the story of which is that of Villon’s (I. Bondarenko) coming back to Isabeau, his beloved (L. Моnde), and to his old friends Margot (А. Galliardt), Laurent (V. Pivovarov), Provins and others.
«Do come to enjoy Villon! We hope that you will not only like the performance, but will also like to read or reread poems by Villon, as well as to find some information about him in Internet, in order to learn more about that fantastically talented and resilient Parisian of the ХV century, who left after him not only poems, but also most incredible rumours that laid foundation to a considerable number of literary works.» - L. Моnde