Everyone Should Know Guignol

Who is Guignol? There’s something familiar about the word…guignol. We use the phrase "Grand Guignol” to refer to performances with a heightened emotional—almost hysterical—quality, often of melodramatic and highly stylized horror. Films such as Hush, Hush…Sweet Charlotte, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, and Die, Die my Darling are often called “Grand Dame Guignol” playing on the phrase and referring to their “movie queen” stars.


You may have heard of the Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol—The Theater of the Grand Guignol. Founded in 1894 in a former Parisian chapel, by Oscar Méténier, The Theater of The Grand Guignol was dedicated to “naturalistic” performances about subjects deemed not appropriate for mainstream theater—prostitution, poverty, mental illness, and murder among others. Often filled with grisly, shocking special effects and brutal representations of horrifying acts, the patrons of the theater would often pass out from fright and revulsion. After many changes in management and direction, the theater closed in the 1960’s, but not before leaving an indelible mark on the art world. In fact, this theater inspired Anne Rice’s Theater of the Vampires.

But, who is Guignol?

Guignol is a puppet. In fact, the “Grand Guignol” means “Big Puppet.” Specifically, Guignol was a puppet introduced to Lyon, France in 1808 by Laurent Mourguet, a silk-weaver-turned-dentist who used puppet shows to attract people to his traveling dental practice. At first borrowing characters from Italian Commedia dell'arte, Mourguet soon created his own characters, Gnafron, and then Guignol as well as others. Guignol became a means of offering up political and social commentary. Though clever, generous and kind, the character of Guignol soon became associated with buffoonery and, even today, the word is often used as an insult. The broad, stylized performances at these puppet shows inspired the name for the naturalistic, yet melodramatic, plays at the Theater of the Grand Guignol.

The Guignol character has his roots in a long tradition of puppetry. He is also related to other similar puppets. In fact, you could say, he is a cousin to Punch and his wife, Judy.

Yes, he is Punch’s Cousin…

 
 
Guignol Puppet Theater image courtesy of Venetian Red.