The art of focusing on essentials… Who would believe that one-act operas and operettas account for almost two thirds of the French opera repertory from the Romantic period, since they are rarely performed today? In the large theatres, these works were originally intended as curtain raisers for three-act pieces, making it possible to fill evening-length opera programmes in order to keep spectators interested for three or four hours at a stretch. In smaller houses, these works were the high point of the evening, often concluding a series of comic or choreographic numbers. Another factor was that the small theatres, as well as lacking funds, had to obey the restrictions imposed on them by the decree of 1807: no more than two or three performers on stage, no chorus, no ballet. They could do a lot with a little, suggest what could not be shown, increase action in the wings, introduce non-speaking characters, or refer to the collective imagination. The result was an incredibly amusing repertory, which never failed to involve the audience, bringing actors and spectators together in celebration of the “Paris spirit”, which was a mixture of bawdy comedy and situational surrealism.