«Of all my plays, this is the most exuberant. I wrote it in the spring, for the spring, with a strong feeling of renewal and renewed vital energies.» - Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt.

 

Inside Baron Hollbach's shooting lodge, Diderot, half-naked, is sitting for Mme Therbouche. They are engaged in a delicate and witty tкte-а-tкte, when Diderot's secretary comes in and brutally puts an end to their badinage. The famous philosopher has to write the article on morals for the Encyclopedia as a matter of the utmost urgency. This is the starting point of a crazy day for Denis Diderot, who will meet with constant interruptions in his philosophical as well as his sentimental ventures. Following his hugely successful The Visitor and Enigma Variations, already regarded as classics the world over, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt has now brought back the libertine comedy, adding some philosophical paradoxes to which he holds the key. The Libertine is also a lively tribute to desire.