farce

Genre broad popular comedy drama involving stereotyped characters in which ordinary people become unwittingly trapped in complex and often improbable situations. The term ‘bedroom farce’ relates to a common farcical situation revolving around extramarital relationships.

Originating in the physical knockabout comedy of Greek satyr plays and the broad humour of medieval religious drama, the farce was developed and perfected during the 19th century by Eugène Labiche (1815–1888) and Georges Feydeau (1862–1921) in France and Arthur Pinero (1835–1934) in England.