The action begins in a bustling Parisian theatre. A young soldier, Christian de Neuvillette arrives with his friend Ligniere. He knows that the lady he dotes on will be present, though he does not know her name. When she appears, accompanied by the Comte de Guiche, Ligniere names her as Roxane and leaves the theatre. Soon after Christian follows, having heard of a plot against his friend’s life. The ‘play’ begins and the melodramatic Montfleury takes to the stage. Suddenly Cyrano appears and demands Montfleury leaves the stage, which he does. An arrogant aristocrat, Valvert, challenges Cyrano to back down, drawing attention to his abnormally large nose. A duel follows, with Cyrano creating a humiliating poem as he fights. After Cyrano’s victory, Roxane and her entourage leave.

Cyrano tells his friend Le Bret that he is in madly in love with Roxane but will not attempt to woo her because of his ungainly appearance. But his hopes are buoyed when Roxane’s lady in waiting appears asking that he arrange a venue for a meeting tomorrow. An appointment is made and Cyrano can hardly control his excitement. On hearing that Ligniere is in danger following a political pamphlet he wrote, Cyrano rallies his followers and marches into the Parisian night to fight a hundred men in his defence

At Raganeau’s bakehouse the next day – populated with aspiring poets and cooks - Roxane meets Cyrano and tells him that she is in love with a young cadet, who starts today in his regiment. She asks him to protect the young man, who is called Christian. As she leaves, The Gascony Cadets arrive with stories of Cyrano’s bravery in defending Ligniere the night before and ask that they tell him the story of the fight. Christian arrives soon after and the cadets warn him not to react to Cyrano’s distinctly large nose. Showing bravado Christian draws attention to it continually and Cyrano’s violent reaction has all the cadets except Christian running for the exit.

Alone with Christian, Cyrano divulges Roxane’s message of love for him and encourages him to compose her a letter. Christian describes his shyness around women and his lack of invention, so Cyrano offers to write the letter for him. It is the first of many…Together they woo Roxane, culminating in a moonlit balcony scene when Cyrano speaks the words and Christian climbs the balcony to steal the first kiss. The jealous De Guiche posts Cyrano’s regiment to Arras, separating Roxane and Christian.

From Arras, Cyrano continues to write his epic love poems, unbeknown to Christian, and crosses the battlefield to deliver them twice daily. When Roxane arrives incognito on the fields of Arras she is madly in love with Christian, but he realises that it is Cyrano she loves. Running into battle he is killed just as Cyrano is about to declare the truth.

Years later, Roxane is still in mourning for Christian when she receives a visitor at her convent. It is Cyrano, who has come every week since Arras to share courtly news. But he is injured, assaulted by enemies on his way to see her and is dying. Reciting one of his letters to her she realises that he was the voice of her love. With one last flourish Cyrano fights off the shadows that have haunted him and dies in Roxane’s arms.