Marc Camoletti (French playwright)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marc Camoletti (November 16, 1923 - July 18, 2003) was a French playwright best known for his classic farce Boeing Boeing.

Camoletti was born a French citizen in Geneva, Switzerland. His family had Italian origins. His theatrical career got off to a flying start when in 1958, three of his plays were presented simultaneously in Paris, the first, La Bonne Anna, running for 1300 performances and going on to play throughout the world.

Boeing Boeing was an even greater success, and remains Camoletti's signature hit. The original London production opened at the Apollo Theatre, transferred to the Duchess, and ran for seven years, racking up more than 2,000 performances.

A later play, Don't Dress for Dinner, also ran for seven years in London, again transferring from the Apollo to the Duchess.

Camoletti's plays have been performed in numerous languages in 55 countries. In Paris alone, 18 of his plays have totalled around 20,000 performances in all. Ten of his plays have also been shown on television, the most recent being Sexe et Jalousie.

Camoletti was an Associate of the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts. He was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, one of France's highest honours. He died in Deauville on the Normandy coast in 2003.