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Biography

Jean-Pierre Martinez is a contemporary French author and playwright who writes television scripts and stage plays. With an average of 350 stage productions every year, he is one of the most successful European playwrights.

A prolific writer, Martinez has written 101 comedies known for their accessibility and unique universe, populated with characters that are simultanously laughable, moving and deeply relatable. His plays typically focus on the tragi-comedy of everyday situations such as unemployment, awkward diner parties, visits from in-laws, funerals or hospital emergency rooms.

Having supported his work in Europe for several years, our goal is now to make his plays more widely known and produced in English-speaking countries.

Taking a unique approach to sharing his work, the texts of all of Jean-Pierre Martinez’s plays can be downloaded for free, as well as purchased in book format (paper or digital).

However, the author’s authorization is required prior to any public representation by professional or amateur companies. Contact the author’s representative via this site for more information.

Martinez’s plays have been translated in several languages, including English. 
Professional performances of Jean-Pierre Martinez’s plays

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Comedy playscripts in English

Several of Jean-Pierre Martinez’s plays have been translated in English, and more translations are added every few months.

The texts of all of Jean-Pierre Martinez’s plays can be downloaded for free, or purchased in book format (paper or digital).

However, the author’s authorization is required prior to any public representation by professional or amateur companies. Contact the author’s representative via this site for more information.

 

To stay informed about the latest translations posted online, please visit the website of the author Jean-Pierre Martinez.

 

 

Welcome aboard! (Bienvenue à bord)

« Age doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese » said Kim Kardashian quoting Luis Buñuel. Life is like a cruise on the Titanic: whether you’re nibbling canapes on the top deck or slurping soup in the hold, at the end of the day we’re all destined to feed the fishes. So, as we wait for the inevitable iceberg, those of us who still can, might as well sit back, enjoy the orchestra and the sound of ice clinking in our glasses. A comedy laced with black humour throughout. The first metaphysical sitcom where the action takes place in an assisted living facility.
English translation by Anne-Christine Gasc

8 characters
Download the PDF for free
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle

 

Lovestruck at Swindlemore Hall (Coup de Foudre à Casteljanac)

Desperate to regain some of her family’s lost prestige, Baroness Swindlemore von Hustlestein is in search of a rich and easily pleased suitor for her daughter, who isn’t much to look at. She thinks she has found the perfect candidate…
English translation by Anne-Christine Gasc

4 characters : 1 male and 3 females
Download the PDF for free
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle

 

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Quarantine (Quarantaine)

Four strangers find themselves forcefully quarantined in what turns out to be an abandoned theater. Seated behind an imaginary two-way mirror, they are observed by another group of people (the audience). The allegedly contaminated strangers consider the situation. What virus are they contaminated with? What will happen to them? How and when will all this end? Little by little, we learn that this huis-clos takes place in a near future where Big Brother reigns supreme, and that the reason for this quarantine may not be entirely medically motivated.
English translation by Anne-Christine Gasc

4 characters (male or female)
Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo 

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Cheaters (Plagiat)

Since his first novel was published and won the Goncourt Prize, Alexander has enjoyed a reputation as a successful author, and is reaping the benefits. He is expected at the Ministry of Culture to be awarded with the insignia of Knight of Arts and Letters. Then, he receives a visit from a stranger who could jeopardize his success…
English translation by Alexandra Tomko

3 characters (1 male and 2 females or 2 males and 1 female)

Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo 

 

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An Innocent Little Murder (Un petit meurtre sans conséquence)

Involuntary adultery can easily lead to involuntary manslaughter, but getting rid of the body of evidence is a whole different matter…
English translation by Anne-Christine Gasc

3 characters : 1 male and 2 females
This play can be adapted for 2 men and 1 woman by swapping the characters’ genders.

Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo 

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Strip Poker

Asking the new neighbours over for dinner to get to know them: a risky move that could end up costing more than it’s worth and a perfect opportunity for a poker comedy where every player must eventually show their hand.
English translation by Anne-Christine Gasc

4 characters : 2 males and 2 females
Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo 

 

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Friday the 13th (Vendredi 13)

John and Christine have invited two of their friends for dinner in their London home. Natalie arrives without her husband, distraught, having just heard that the plane bringing him home crashed at sea. With the potential widow they wait with baited breath for news confirming whether her husband is among the survivors … and learn that they are the winners of that evening’s super jackpot lottery draw. From then on, the operative words are “controlling emotions”. And that is just the beginning of this eventful evening, with twists, turns and revelations galore.
English translation by Anne-Christine Gasc

3 characters : 1 male and 2 females
Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo 

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A simple business dinner (Dessous de table)

A CEO invites a minister to dinner with the aim of getting him to sign a large contract, and hires an escort to help seal the deal. But the escort in question is filling in for a friend who led her to believe it was just a well-paid catering job. She expects to be handing out appetizers, only to find out she’s on the menu.
Naturally, nothing will go according to plan …

3 characters : 2 males and 1 female
Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo 

 

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Him and Her, interactive monologue (Elle et Lui)

About the exciting adventure of living together…
One or several couples
Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo 

 

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Critical but stable (Diagnostic réservé)

Raymond is in a deep coma following an accident on a Boris Bike. His long lost relatives are called to his bedside to decide what to do and avoid prolonged therapeutic interventions. But this collective decision becomes even more difficult when the patient turns out not to be who everyone thought he was. And is the keeper of a secret that could make everyone very rich…
English translation by Anne-Christine Gasc
6 characters (male or female)
Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo 

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Casket for two (Un cercueil pour deux)

When two candidates in a local by-election cremate their spouses on election day, conditions are rife for spoiled ballots and stray bullets. Especially when the funeral director’s newly hired temp has a mind of her own…English translation by Anne-Christine Gasc

4 characters : 2 males and 2 females
Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo 

 

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Running on empty (Au bout du rouleau)

A journalist visits a playwright on the down and out for an interview that could launch his comeback. But in the world of theatre, appearances can be deceiving…
English translation by Anne-Christine Gasc

2 characters (males or females)
Download the PDF for free 
By the book (Paperback) : Amazon, The Book Edition
By the ebook : Kindle, Kobo