A poet, novelist, pantomime writer and critic, Fernand Desnoyers was the brother of Edmond de Biéville, vaudevillist and theater critic for the daily newspaper Le Siècle. An important figure in the literary world of his time, he did not, however, leave any significant works. His only play for puppets, Le Théâtre de Polichinelle, subtitled Prologue en vers pour l'ouverture du théâtre des Marionnettes dans le jardin des Tuileries, was commissioned by Louis Duranty. It was first performed on May 19, 1861 as the opening act for the inauguration of the theater and was published the same year.