Lully starts to gain the favour of the 14-year-old King Louis in 1653 by giving him specially designed shoes for
Ballet Royal de la Nuit. His subsequent rise draws hostility from the old cadres of the court, particularly the royal composer Cambert. Following
Cardinal Mazarin's death, Louis installs himself in full power as the king in 1661. He is now at stake with the religious establishment created and controlled by his mother
Anne of Austria at the
Palais-Royal. On the other hand, Lully's animosity with Cambert comes to a novel dimension after Cambert's mistress Madeleine Lambert, the daughter of
Michel Lambert, marries Lully in 1662. Lully and another
Versailles favourite, Molière, are keen to further disarm the old court. The duo get to understand their own limitations when conflict becomes more manifest at events such as the staging (and consequent ban) of
Tartuffe in 1664. Meanwhile, the passing years bring an end to Lully's position as the king's dance teacher and choreographer and he also has to face the emotional tensions growing with his wife's niece Julie, which will culminate at the gala of Cambert's
Pomone in 1671. ==Cast==