Follow TV Tropes

Following

Overly Long Name / Theatre
aka: Theater

Go To

Overly Long Names in theatre.


  • An object example: the comedy Assemblywomen by Aristophanes contains the word "Lopado­temacho­selacho­galeo­kranio­leipsano­drim­hypo­trimmato­silphio­karabo­melito­katakechy­meno­kichl­epi­kossypho­phatto­perister­alektryon­opte­kephallio­kigklo­peleio­lagoio­siraio­baphe­tragano­pterygon", as the name of a fictional dish. At 183 letters, it has held the record for longest made-up word used in a work of fiction since 390 BC. While we don't get a recipe for it, the name itself explains what some of the ingredients are, and it apparently is some kind of fricassee containing a bunch of birds and fishes.
  • An opera called The Baron Kinkvervankotsdorsprakingatchdern holds the dubious honour of being the longest English manuscript title ever written.
  • Chrononhotonthologos, a 1734 satire by Henry Carey. The opening lines go:
    Aldiborontiphoscophornio!
    Where left you Chrononhotonthologos?
    • And that isn't even the play's full title. It's The Tragedy of Chrononhotonthologos: The most tragical tragedy that ever was tragediz'd by any company of tragedians. Any actor who can say both his name and/or his line in one breath, without tripping over his tongue deserves a medal.
  • In Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein), the three members of the royal family all have absurdly long names, the Prince being introduced as "His Royal Highness, Christopher Rupert Windemere Vladimir Karl Alexander François Reginald Lancelot Herman Gregory James, son of Her Majesty, Queen Constantina Charlotte Ermintrude Gwinyvere Maisie Marguerite Anne and His Majesty, King Maximilian Godfrey Ladislaus Leopold Sidney Frederick John."
  • There's a scene in Cyrano de Bergerac where most of Cyrano and Christian's fellow soldiers are introduced to Roxane:
    "Baron de Casterac de Cahuzac.—Vidame
    De Malgouyre Estressac Lesbas d'Escarabiot.
    Chevalier d'Antignac-Juzet.—Baron Hillot
    De Blagnac-Salechan de Castel Crabioules..."
    • It's even lampshaded in the next two lines:
      Roxane: But how many names have you each?
      Baron Hillot: Scores!
  • In A Day In Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine the Groucho Expy asks the Chico Expy what his name is,
    "Oh, my name! She's-a Carlo Luigi Biondella Buonanova di Mozzarella."
    "How do you spell that?"
    "Wrong, every time!"
  • Eddie Izzard's comedy special Definite Article featured a bit where he poked fun at the trend for heads of the United Nations to have exceedingly long names:
    "I've changed my name, it's Jeff Jeff Jeff Smith Smith Smithly Ghali!"
    "Come on in, Jeffrey-big long-named person!"
  • In Dorothy L. Sayers' The Emperor Constantine, Helena's servant derides the Emperor's name — he didn't have it that long when he had wooed (and abandoned) Helena.
  • Leon Steponovitch Tolchinsky, Sophia Irena Elynya Zubritsky and Count Gregor Mikhailovitch Breznofsky Fyodor Yousekevitch from Fools.
  • Lampshaded by Joan of Arc (La Pucelle) in Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 1, Act 4, Scene 7:
    LUCY: But where's the great Alcides of the field,
    Valiant Lord Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury,
    Created, for his rare success in arms,
    Great Earl of Washford, Waterford and Valence;
    Lord Talbot of Goodrig and Urchinfield,
    Lord Strange of Blackmere, Lord Verdun of Alton,
    Lord Cromwell of Wingfield, Lord Furnival of Sheffield,
    The thrice-victorious Lord of Falconbridge;
    Knight of the noble order of Saint George,
    Worthy Saint Michael and the Golden Fleece;
    Great marshal to Henry the Sixth
    Of all his wars within the realm of France?
    JOAN LA PUCELLE: Here is a silly stately style indeed!
    The Turk, that two and fifty kingdoms hath,
    Writes not so tedious a style as this.
    Him that thou magnifiest with all these titles
    Stinking and fly-blown lies here at our feet.
  • The play The Persecution and Assassination of Jean Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade by Peter Weiss is commonly referred to as Marat/Sade for obvious reasons, often times even on posters.
  • In The Producers, you get Ulla Inga Hansen Bensen Yosen Tallen-Hallen Svaden Svanson. And that's just her first name. We don't get to hear the rest of it because the characters "don't have the time."
  • A song from the musical Operette by Noël Coward is sung by a character known to everyone as "Countess Mitzi":
    They call me Countess Mitzi,
    But I can't imagine why,
    For my name is really Ludovika Anastasie Frederika Isabel Rosa Mariposa Nikinikolai.
    You can perfectly well see why
    That to alter it people try,
    For they'd rather say "Countess Mitzi"
    Just a teensy-weensy bitsie,
    Than a string of names like Ludovika Anastasie Frederika Isabel Rosa Mariposa Nikinikolai.


Alternative Title(s): Theater

Top