Nikolas Immer’s and Olaf Müller’s edition of Lessing’s ‚Theater des Herrn Diderot‘ for the first time renders the complete text of the first edition of 1760 in synoptic presentation with Diderot’s French original. Together with abundant footnotes and annotations, the text gives insight into Lessing’s practice as a translator and his criticism of Diderot’s theatre. While in general he seeks in Diderot an ally in the fight for the “natural” and against classicism, he is also very distinct about not following Diderot’s abandonment of catharsis and the ludicrous for prophylactic representations of ideal behavior. Rather, he follows concepts that critics like Richard Hurd and George Colman find in ancient comedy. Lessing even indirectly quotes Colman’s defense of “characters in motion” to contradict Diderot. However, the editors, in their postscript, seem to adhere to the opinion that Lessing follows Diderot.