Le Dindon

It depicts the unsuccessful attempts of the central character – the "dindon" (roughly "the fall guy") to seduce a married woman, and the chaotic events caused by his fruitless machinations.

Moreover, in the unlikely event that Vatelin should ever stray, she has her own preferred candidate as partner in her revenge, a nice young man called Rédillon, whom she finds attractive, despite his red beard.

[6] Pontagnac's wife, Clotilde, holds views similar to those of her friend Lucienne: if ever she catches her husband straying, she will take her revenge with an attractive young man.

It is occupied in rapid succession by Rédillon and an attractive cocotte, Armandine, and then by Major Pinchard – an army surgeon – and his wife, who is deaf.

Pontagnac, who is lying in wait with Lucienne in the adjoining room to witness her husband's misconduct, has placed an apparatus under the mattress to trigger the bells.

The room becomes the scene of chaos, the major applies the hot poultice to Vatelin by mistake, vengeful spouses, including Meggy's, come and go, and a brawl ensues when two different policemen attempt to arrest Pontagnac for improper conduct.

[10] Les Annales du théâtre et de la musique called the piece "a joyous farce" and praised Feydeau's comic invention.

Reviewing the 1959 production by the Comédie-Française, Philip Hope-Wallace called it "the apogee of bedroom farce of its kind, and a pure delight" and rated the frenetic middle act superior even to the funniest scenes in Occupe-toi d'Amélie!.

[15] In 1951 the Comédie-Française took the piece into its repertoire, and revived the production 16 times over the next 20 years, with the central role of Pontagnac played by Jacques Charon, Jean Piat, Jean-Paul Roussillon and in some later runs, the author's grandson, Alain Feydeau.

[16] Translations and adaptations in English have been given various titles, including There's One in Every Marriage, 1970;[17] Sauce for the Goose, 1974;[18] Paying the Piper, 1975;[19] Ruling the Roost, 1980;[20] and An Absolute Turkey, 1994.