Grand-Guignol: The French Theatre of HorrorThe Théâtre du Grand-Guignol in Paris (1897 - 1962) achieved a legendary reputation as the 'Theatre of Horror' a venue displaying such explicit violence and blood-curdling terror that a resident doctor was employed to treat the numerous spectators who fainted each night. Indeed, the phrase 'grand guignol' has entered the language to describe any display of sensational horror. Since the theatre closed its doors forty years ago, the genre has been overlooked by critics and theatre historians. This book reconsiders the importance and influence of the Grand-Guignol within its social, cultural and historical contexts, and is the first attempt at a major evaluation of the genre as performance. It gives full consideration to practical applications and to the challenges presented to the actor and director. The book also includes outstanding new translations by the authors of ten Grand-Guignol plays, none of which have been previously available in English. The presentation of these plays in English for the first time is an implicit demand for a total reappraisal of the grand-guignol genre, not least for the unexpected inclusion of two very funny comedies. |
From inside the book
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... Pierron suggests more credibly that Méténier's decision was motivated by ill health ( Pierron 1995 , VI ) , although he was a relatively young man and destined to live for another fourteen years . Even the exact date of the takeover is ...
... ( Pierron 1995 , 1384 ) . 9 In her memoirs , Maxa herself claims that her first appearance at the Grand- Guignol was in Charles Méré's La Nuit au bouge ( Pierron 1995 , 1384 ) , although , according to Pierron , this did not play until ...
... Pierron suggests that ' during the 1940s reality surpassed fiction ' ( Pierron 1995 , XXXIII ) and Anaïs Nin recalls a friend explaining that ' after the war and the concentration camps , what the theatre presented seemed to be ...
Contents
Location and venue | 26 |
Technical Aspects of GrandGuignol Practice | 52 |
Issues of Audience and Reception at the GrandGuignol | 67 |
Copyright | |
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Other editions - View all
Grand-Guignol: The French Theatre of Horror Prof. Richard J. Hand,Prof. Michael Wilson No preview available - 2019 |
Grand-Guignol: The French Theatre of Horror Richard J. Hand,Michael Wilson No preview available - 2002 |