Cyrano de Bergerac struck a responsive chord when first performed in 1897. Its unashamed glorification of panache, the heroic individualism of a bygone age allied to an unimpeachable ethical code, flattered and soothed a country shaken by war and financial scandals, and low in self-esteem. With great empathy, the devout Rostand portrays a proud freethinker who, in a world where little can be cured and much has to be endured, is always equal to the situation, at least linguistically. This delicate balance between humour and pathos is an example of the rare genre of comédie héroïque. The demanding role of Cyrano has proved an irresistible challenge to the monsters sacrés of stage and screen, recently to the greatest of them all, Gérard Depardieu.