Polichinelle discovers that the theaters have been demolished. He has ordered a carpenter to make him new puppets but has no play to perform. The author Flonflon asks to be paid in advance, and Polichinelle beats him. Then four spectators come to see Polichinelle. The Compère (stooge) advises him to present a very short play. Polichinelle announces that he has two plot ideas: the relocation of the Comédie-Italienne and the wedding of the fairy Carabosse with Polichinelle. The play ends with a dance and a farce.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

Carolet Denis

France

Paris

Printed

Life of the theatres

Playwright

Spectator

Relocation

Fair

Comical

Satirical

French

Polichinelle

The Interpreter

Author

Nurse

Mitron

Maid

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Dance

Final song

Blow-with-a-stick

Bawdy equivocation

L'Impromptu de Polichinelle

The Impromptu of Polichinelle

The tenants of a building (a Baroness, a Knight and a Marquis) meet to ask their landlord, Monsieur Dubost, to evict Guignol, another tenant who plays tricks on them. For instance, he ties a cat to a bell-rope, puts a tight string in the stairs so that everyone who walks there falls, nails planks on the door of an apartment and writes “closed due to a death”. The landlord asks that Guignol explain himself and the latter tells him that this is how he takes revenge on his neighbours for what they put him through. Because he cannot evict Guignol since he pays his rent duly, he offers him to change apartments but Guignol requests a hundred ecus to move out. The landlord refuses and then fetches the Bailli (bailiff) to make a complaint. The Bailli wants Guignol arrested and calls two Cavaliers (Knights) to help him. Guignol drives the three of them out by handing them blows with a stick.

Glove-puppet

Vuillerme-Dunand Victor-Napoléon

Manuscript

Neighbourhood

Joke

Revenge

Expulsion

Arrest

Farcical

Les Locataires, manuscript given to the censure authorities, 1866.