Molière as a mentor - Literati and learned ladies in contemporary Australia

This paper explores the adaptation of Les Femmes savantes as The Literati, by Australian playwright Justin Fleming. With a focus on mentoring, it uses Fleming’s work as a vehicle to explore the transferal and transformation of the ideas of literary ‘greats’ to and by contemporary playwrights - between mentor and mentee across time and space. It outlines how Fleming successfully maintains Molière’s irreverent tone and disdain for apparent cultural upstarts for a 21st century Australian audience.