Polichinelle explains to the audience that, in the fashion of larger theatres, he will harangue them. He justifies the fact that he is presenting a new parody of Atys, which was already performed by Italian comedians, and advocates for the rights of the puppets, “let’s polish the most mischievous” of the Fair.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

Fuzelier Louis

France

Paris

Printed

Public

Comédie Française

Comédie-Italienne

United States of America

Comical

Parodistic

Extract from a reconstitution by Alban Thierry, from company Zouak, and his students of Harangue de Polichinelle, during PuppetPlays' Laboratory of experimental dramaturgy concerning the repertory for puppets of the theatres of the Foire Saint-German in the 18th century.

French

Polichinelle

Monologue

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Address to the public

Oration

Harangue de Polichinelle

Polichinelle's harangue

Lord Grey and John Bull are looking for a pretext to declare war on Germany, which is competing with England in the field of industrial development. The announcement of the murder of François-Ferdinand in Sarajevo, related by Kasperl, Grey’s servant, provides them with one such pretext, but they have to distort the event and make it seem as if Austria attacked Serbia. Grey and John Bull gather their allies from the Triple Entente, Prince Wodkasoff and Delcassé. They also join forces with the devil of lies. Kasperl lets a word of indignation slip, and he is thrown in prison. On the German side, Germania warns her husband Michel about the rapacity of their neighbours, when Kasperl, just escaped from prison, comes to warn them about the conspiracy planned by the countries of the Entente. The devil of lies tries to play Hans off against his parents, Germania and Michel, but he is struck with a stick. Wary of Italy, the Germans ally themselves with Josef (the Czech) and Janos (the Hungarian): the Triple Entente goes to war. In 1914-1915, the countries of the Entente fail to make progress against the enemy. Desperate, Grey seeks advice in hell, where King Edward VII plays cards with Pluto and Kitchener. Mammon, the devil of money, is thus sent to corrupt the countries who remained neutral. In Italy, he will even corrupt the poet D’Annunzio in order to make the people rise against Germany. In order to hasten Mammon’s return, Pluto puts the clock forward by one year: it is now 1916-1917, and Grey has been replaced by Lloyd George, a more energetic man. But Lloyd George also goes seek advice in hell. Mammon’s intervention was not sufficient to weaken Germany’s resistance. The devil of lies comes again on the stage, disguised as an angel of peace, to announce that the United States have entered the war. There is an uproar in hell. Pluto concludes the play with a reminder that he will always be the one to win, no matter what: either Germany is victorious, and he retrieves the souls of Grey, Lloyd George, Iswolski, Northcliff, Delcassé “and so on”, or England wins, and planet Earth becomes hell, meaning that Pluto could enjoy his retirement.

String marionette

Fritz von Ostini (Friedrich von Ostini, aka Fritz von Ostini)

Germany

Munich

England

Hell

Propaganda

Conspiracy

Politics

Government

Treason

Italy

Gabriele d'Annunzio

Austria-Hungary

Bohemia (Czech republic)

Russia

Trade

Industry

Money

Capitalism

Imperialism

First World War

Satirical

Title page of Grey &amp; Co, showing a caricature of Lord Grey

German

King Edward's unselige Erben

Devil

Kasperl

Black Man

Germania

Hans

Pluto

King Edward VII

Mammon

Moneylender

Fury

Ghost

Disguise

Allegory

Catastrophe

Apparition of the Devil

Political allegory

Splitting of the body

Play in verse

Personification

Pact with the devil

Caricature

Final intervention of the devil

Grey & Co

The puppeteer is an inmate. He plays his puppet show for an audience of psychology students who have come to hear him relate his autobiographical story. He introduces the characters: Dean’s puppet, Wayne’s puppet, and the puppets of several dead boys. He also plays his own role, that of David. David and Wayne are a teenage couple. Dean is older than them. In their house, they talk of multiple murders they committed together: in the cave, the victims were killed by Dean, with the help of Wayne, after having been sexually assaulted, tortured and mutilated. The crimes were recorded on camera by David. The series of murders goes on until the murder of Jamie – a boy Wayne was in love with. Wayne is blinded by rage and kills Dean. David suggests that they put an end to the killing spree. Wayne agrees in a first time. But when he meets Brad, another boy, and engages in an erotic game at the end of which he takes Dean’s place: he tortures Brad until he kills him. After the murder, David kills Wayne during a panic attack. Then he calls the police and confesses to his crimes.