BROOKFIELD — The period between the Franco-Prussian War and the start of World War I in Paris is often referred to as “La Belle Epoque,” which translates to “The Beautiful Era.” An era in which the art scene flourished, it was the time that gave rise to Van Gogh’s artwork, the heyday of The Moulin Rouge, and it was a time of the nouveau riche. It was also the time of The Parisian Elite, who touted their power. In times like this, there was always art to speak truth to that power, and there is no better place for truth to power to be spoken than in the theater.

French Playwright Georges Feydeau’s 1907 farcical play A Flea in her Ear did just that. It lampooned the nouveau riche and the high society culture of the time.

That play has been given new life in a hilarious new production running at Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, under the direction of Tony Bosco-Schmidt. This version was adapted by the king of farce himself, playwright David Ives.

The plot is simple. Raymonde Chandebise (played in Brookfield by Rebecca Annalise) gets, well … a flea in her ear … that her husband Victor (Gus Bottazzi) may be cheating on her with another woman. With the help of her best friend Lucienne (Anya Nardone) they hatch a plan to catch him in the act at a less than reputable hotel establishment.

As with all good farces, slapstick physical comedy, mistaken identity and witty dialogue ensue. This farce is in good hands with Brookfield’s entertaining new production.

Gus Bottazzi brings a wonderful staunch sensibility to his character of Victor. The anchor of the play, Victor provides the straight man in the wacky world of Feydeu’s characters. No spoilers, but Bottazzi also gets to join in on the fun later in the play.

Rebecca Annalise plays his wife Raymonde. Her sharp, no nonsense portrayal of the suspicious wife is a delight to watch on the stage. Her chemistry with co-conspirator Lucienne is palpable.

Colin McLoone steals the show as Camille, Victor’s nephew, whose speech impediment leads to quite a few misunderstandings. Watching McLoone bounce around the stage trying to have others understand him will have you laughing to yourself even on the drive home from the theater.

As with any good farce, the cast is sizeable, with 14 or 15 different characters throughout the play. Other mentions should go to Desi Kelley as Antoinette, the maid. Kelley is always wonderful to watch on stage.

She is paired with butler Etienne, played by Vincent D’Ambrosio. Watching him try to keep it all together among the chaos is an amusing sight to be seen.

Liam McGrath plays Romain Tournel, a business associate and friend of Victor’s (ahem … and Raymonde’s). His dashing portrayal of Romain and his comedic timing make him one to watch.

Andres Idrovo, Daniel J. Mulvihill, Dean Alexander, Michele Rosa, Rick Stewart, and Maya Bosco-Schmidt portray the other wacky characters that populate this world. One wishes there was enough room in this review to compliment them all individually. Each of them holds their own and brings magnificent energy to the piece.

Audiences can always count on the team of Andrew Okell and Bob Lane for a beautiful and inventive set, as well as lighting designer Stephen Cihanek to make everyone shine.

A Flea in Her Ear runs through March 15 at The Brookfield Theatre. Tickets and more information can be found at brookfieldtheatre.org.

Every member of the cast — and the unseen crew — of the current Brookfield Theatre production of A Flea in Her Ear deserves a round of applause. —Stephen Cihanek photo